Firefighters Fear This Is Calm Before Brush-Blaze Storm

The three-year drought that has brought parts of southern Orange County close to water rationing this summer has also left the county’s vast acreage of underbrush unusually vulnerable to fire, officials warned Monday. A heavy rainfall that occurred earlier in the year increased the growth of underbrush, they said, but when the rain stopped, the brush died, adding to an already-significant amount of flammable grasses in so-called wild lands.

“With the rain came an increased amount of vegetation,” said Capt. Joe Kerr of the Orange County Fire Department. “When the rain did not maintain itself, the dieback only added to the flammable shrubs already there, making a bad situation worse.”

Since the drought began, brush fires have increased at an alarming rate, according to figures maintained by Kerr’s department, which serves a number of cities and the unincorporated areas in the county. In 1986, there were 92 wild-land fires that destroyed more than 156 acres. In 1987, 186 fires burned more than 2,116 acres. And in 1988, 396 fires swept over 3,000 acres.

Kerr said that in addition to the increase in flammable shrubs, a recent survey of the fuel moisture in the county indicates a higher level of dryness than usually found at the end of summer.

“We found the dryness to be what it would have been after the arrival of strong Santa Ana winds at the end of the fall season,” he said. “Those winds haven’t arrived yet, and with the dryness at this point, it’s definitely something we are monitoring.”

Firefighters Fear Worst

Because temperatures have been relatively mild this summer and there have been few Santa Ana winds, fire officials have been able to contain the problem. But the worst may be yet to come.

“We’ve seen some mild signs of the Santa Ana winds, and they will probably come again even stronger,” Kerr said. “They can frequently come towards the end of September or October, which is certainly another critical situation. But to counteract that, we also have a long-range forecast that predicts rainfall in those months.”

Orange County has had just 8.51 inches rain this year, in contrast with an average of about 13. Last year’s rainfall was 10.03, according to the WeatherData center in Utah.

Seeking to reduce the amount of brush and wild land destroyed by fire, county firefighters are offering several prevention programs aimed at increasing public awareness.

“We’re trying to instill into the public that fire safety isn’t just for a month or a particular season,” spokeswoman Kathleen Cha said. “We’ve been very fortunate so far.”

Safety Zone Around Home

Although the fire season usually begins in June, fire officials began taking precautions in May because of the unusually dry conditions.

“Weed abatement is one of our programs, where we encourage people to remove dead, dry weeds and hanging tree limbs and branches a certain distance from their homes,” Cha said. “The slightest spark can set off a fire.”

She said residents who do not take fire precautions can have fines attached to property tax bills.

In the meantime, fire officials have posted warning signs in such areas as Rancho Santa Margarita and Trabuco Hills, where there is heavy underbrush.

Orange County Rainfall Normal average rainfall: 12.97 inches Last Year. July 1, 1988 to June 30, 1989: 8.51 inches Previous Year. July 1, 1987 to June 30, 1988: 10.03 inches This season so far: 0 inches (normal level: .07 inches) Source: Weather Data Center