Despite record heavy rainfall last winter, the threat of wildfires in Southern California remains significant in the coming months, with the peak of the season looming just around the corner, fire officials said Thursday.
CalFire, the Orange County Fire Authority, and several other partnering agencies hosted a press conference at Irvine Lake in Silverado, as part of a multi-agency effort to raise awareness and urge residents to be prepared and help reduce wildfire risks.
“Don’t let the green hillsides fool you, we have a year-round fire season,” Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said, as he stood behind a backdrop of lush green slopes. In 2020, a wind-driven wildfire in Silverado severely injured two firefighters, burned over 10,000 acres and forced more than 90,000 Irvine residents to evacuate.
In 2024, only 2 percent of California remained in a drought, compared to 23 percent the year prior. Even so, the rain has only delayed potential wildfires, as the green vegetation, described as live fuel growth, covers dead fuel lying underneath, which will eventually dry, CalFire Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler said.
The height of the year-round fire season is expected to be between June and November, said OCFA Capt. Paul Holaday, who predicts that the combination of hot temperatures and dry Santa Ana winds will lead to smaller, faster moving fires from tall grass following the rain. A higher probability of man-made fires is also anticipated, as homes and highways continue to be built through or near the edge of wild land territories.
Jaime Gamboa, Director of Fire, Fuels, and Aviation Management at the U.S. Forest Service noted that 85 percent of fires in California are started by people.
Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner described residents as the ‘first line of defense’ in wildfire preparedness and emphasized the importance of staying up-to-date on emergency alerts by subscribing to alertoc.gov, discussing reunification strategies with loved ones and responding to evacuation orders quickly.
Other press conference attendees included the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California Conservation Corps, California Military Department, California Highway Patrol, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
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