High winds could mean high fire risk
Dry weather continues into weekend
CHICO » A severe lack of winter rain has made for an unseasonably dry spring, raising concerns for fire risk and the coming fire season.
The National Weather Service’s Sacramento office issued a red flag warning Friday for the weekend because of high winds and dry fire fuels in the Sacramento Valley. According to the service’s forecast, gusts in Chico could be as high as 45-50 miles per hour on Saturday and Sunday.
Cal Fire-Butte County Capt. Jacob Gilliam said this is the earliest red flag warning the Sacramento office has put out. Gilliam said that local stations are aware of the threat, adding that the largest threat would likely be the western Sacramento Valley.
“Clearly it’s not like the wind stops at (Interstate 5) so all of our stations, especially the ones on the valley floor, are certainly aware of what’s going on,” Gilliam said.
Fire fuels throughout California, thanks to the drought and lack of rainfall, are dryer this year than in previous years leading to the call for a red flag warning, Gilliam said.
The National Weather Service warned of possible power outages caused by down branches and weakened trees as well as loose objects potentially blowing around.
A no-burn order is in place for the weekend meaning residential and farm burns are not allowed through Sunday night.
In addition to weekend burns being off-limits, beginning April 15, residential burn permits will be required, according to a press release issued Friday by Cal Fire.
Permits for burning in the county’s jurisdiction can be obtained for free at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov.
While this will be the case for Butte County, rules will differ in Chico, Paradise and Oroville. The rules for these cities are as follows:
• Chico: Burning is banned year-round.
• Oroville: Permits are required all year with hours
and locations varying based on jurisdiction.
• Paradise: Burn permits are required and can be purchased online at www. townofparadise.com. Paradise residents can also purchase permits at 767 Birch St. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fire season has yet to be announced by Cal Fire, though the various California jurisdictions are ramping up staff. Gilliam said the first batch of seasonal firefighters are being brought on starting Monday.
“We do this every year,” Gilliam said. “We will have three different groups of hires, and so that will lead us up to peak staffing. Our staffing decisions and declaration of fire season don’t necessarily go hand in hand.”
Snowpack
In its April 1 survey, the
California Department of Water Resources once again saw a decline in the Sierra Nevada snowpack based on
data retrieved from Philips Station.
“The conditions we are seeing today speak to how
severe our drought remains. DWR has been planning for the reality of a third dry year since the start of
the water year on Oct. 1,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “While DWR has made significant investments in forecasting technology and other tools to ensure we make the most out of the snowmelt we do receive, water conservation will remain our best tool in the face of this ongoing drought and the statewide impacts of a warming climate. All Californians must focus on conserving water now.”
Late December storms made for a positive outlook at the start of the year, but consistently dry weather has erased that progress.
Other high elevations in Northern California are also seeing less snow than normal. For example, webcams by both PG&E and Caltrans watching Donner Pass are showing patchy, low snow.
As of 2 p.m. Friday, Lake Oroville was at 751.26 feet elevation.