'Fire Season'.....

[Firedude52]

The term ‘Fire Season’… Is there really such a thing anymore? It’s not like the old NERP and ERP days of yesterday. Here we are in the dead of winter and have had some of the most destructive fires ever. In fact fires are breaking today as I type with structures threatened.

I can’t help but laugh out loud very time I read ‘Fire season is over’ at the first drop of rain! It’s obvious those who say so haven’t been around very long. I’ve been around for over 50 ‘fire seasons’ with 33 of those active. Times/weather are changing.

Granted the north has little to no wildland fire traffic during the winter months obviously since they get plenty of rain and snow, but it hasn’t prevented in them having to rehire FF1’s, staff engines and send them south right? Ask those who are in So Cal and those from the north, state if ‘the season is over’.

We have Feb, March and April before things begin again on a wider scale. The fires we’re seeing now are pretty much unprecedented for mid to late January. What is Feb going to bring?

Personally I think the term ‘Fire Season’ is becoming a thing of the past.

Your thoughts?

[Tybombero]

As a vendor to the USFS and Calfire and having to maintain and manage equipment, there’s definitely a “season” to when stuff gets called and an off-season when we purchase or repair equipment. Not to say fires don’t happen all year long like we’re seeing now, but the typical bulk of the big fires are July-October for Nor Cal anyway. I think it’s still safe to use the term “fire season” with the understanding that 100+ days of no rain + Santa Ana winds = critical fire weather even in January.

[Keestrokes]

It’s been changed to fire year!

[Firedude52]

I agree in part what you are saying, but the ‘bulk part’. We’ve had tremendous ;loss of life and structure loss recently which required a tremendous amount of resources. This may not affect you as a ‘vendor’ however it’s had a tremendous impact on firefighters. I think the term ‘fire season’ is too ‘abbreviated’. It’s no longer just the ‘summer months’. We are seeing more and more of a ‘year round fire season’. Nor Cal/So Cal we’re one state and destructive fires are occurring year round.

[Cauby43]

Clearly the seasons are different between North and South. In the North, Fire Season is over. There is no chance of a significant fire starting,. However, in the South it appears that fire season is not over. It changes from year to year,. Without rain, and the possibility of a drought, the Fire Seasons are going to last longer. The term Fire Season dosen’t have a specific start and end date like Hunting Season or Fishing Season. It is weather dependant. I like the term and will never stop using it. It describes the general condtion of the area and calls for a heightened awarness when working in that environment. If California was in “Fire Season” year around, it would cause complacency in areas that have no chance of burning during the off season. During periods of no rain and dry fuels, Southern California should be in Fire Season.

[Firedude52]

Agreed, but It still affects those in the north. They may not be currently having fires, but can and are being deployed south. It’s all one big state and firefighters are sent when/where needed.

[oth2]

Would have been nice to have those Northern Resources available for the South! I guess that is why Cal Fire is hiring back and staffing those resources. Makes sense! Kind of scary to do something that makes sense!!! lol

[Capt4711]

That’s what used to happen. Fire Seaon wound down in the north and equipment was shuttled south and we the need arose Forcey Bear kicked our asses. 2-0 staffing and CTO

[Firedude52]

Thanks for the replies so far. I need more coffee in the morning before posting lol. I think my main point was is there is no longer a ‘designated time frames’ for fire season like there used to be back in the day. It runs year round in my opinion. It’s never ‘over’. Look what’s happening on the ANF right now at the end of January. Does it matter where the fires are burning lol?

Carry on

[eng1ine]

I believe it’s safe to say one Fire Season ends 12/31/XX and the next one begins 1/1/XX. The size, frequency and magnitude may very depending on region, but we all run various “vegetation” fires year round.

[Ed3442]

Anyone old enough to remember the Santa Ana task force equipment staged unstaffed at the bottom of the grapevine on the north side after fire season was declared over.

[Icefire]

Not old enough to have been there, but my mentors relayed that was kinda the norm!

[secret_mtn]

OTOH I’m three miles outside of Greenville CA, living in a tiny strip we call the PMZ ~ Pecks Miracle Zone. The Dixie fire swept right around it.

We are into the third week of January. There is no snow on the ground, and the forest floor is beginning to crackle underfoot. There are so many ways a fire can start. A chimney fire. A vehicle wreck. Irresponsible behavior.

At this point I am taking nothing for granted.

[YardDog11]

I agree. We can no longer count on the calendar norms to shape our thoughts of “season”, nor count on scars slowing fires. In many cases even a scar a year two old can have enough dry grass to blitz through.

[BroncRider]

Yep. How many of you remember the “San-Tana” task forces of the "70’s? we’d do our engine PM and then send engines south to stage. The crews would come home and wait.

The crap would hit the fan with the winter “Santa Ana’s” and we’d load a couple vans or if we were lucky, jump a flight to John Wayne, staff our engines and go to work as needed.

I expect the current management may look back on that and take a cue from history…Hopefully.

[IMT_Geek]

The annual southward migration of our Cal OES engines for the winter…

[Icefire]

Kinda the circle of life! They should consider that again.

[Fire_sail]

And the engines went to units were local radio frequency was the same. Remember old days we only had 2 or 3 channels

[Icefire]

State, local, region if memory serves me right.
Motorola!

[Capt4711]

District net and State net