The unofficial start of California’s wildfire season is next month. That also comes as the state is expected to continue efforts to limit the coronavirus pandemic, and that has fire agencies concerned that COVID-19 might reduce the number of personnel available to battle wildfires. Marin County Fire Department Chief Jason Weber says COVID-19 has the potential of having a dramatic impact on his department.
“We’re planning internally that we could lose 20-30% of our workforce from the virus,” said Weber, “usually 20-30% of our workforce we can commit to the state mission, the greater fire mission helping our neighbors.”
That mission is called mutual aid, where fire agencies share resources to fight fires. These are the same agencies Cal Fire draws from when there’s a major wildfire. Cal Fire Deputy Communications Manager Michael Moeller said that planning discussions are happening at both the state and federal levels.
“What we’re going through is a historic crisis with the COVID-19, not just Cal Fire but every fire agency is doing some pre-planning.” Said Moeller, “it’s not if, but when, we start burning and having our California wildfires that there could be an impact on staffing and we have to look at where we can put our personnel for the greater good.”
Moeller says that non-essential activities like controlled burns and fire drills could likely be cancelled.
