The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for parts of the Bay Area, in effect Memorial Day from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Fire officials are urging people to be vigilant as they head outside to enjoy the holiday.
California’s golden hills may look pretty, but for firefighters, they cause anxiety.
“Our concern this year is that we really didn’t get a whole lot of rainfall over the wintertime,” said CAL FIRE Battalion Chief John Hagee. “So, really the fuels are dry and the grass is already starting to turn. The hot weather that we’re expecting this weekend is really going to push the moisture out of the brush, so it’s going to be very receptive.”
Hagee told KCBS Radio that all that dry brush needs is a tiny spark to do a lot of damage, which almost always comes from humans.
“That means, you know, making sure if you’re pulling a boat that the chains are pulled up,” he noted. “If you’re having a campfire in a designated campfire area, make sure it’s attended at all times and when you do leave make sure it’s completely extinguished. It’s those little things that we can do in the public that will help us in the long run.”
That doesn’t mean people can’t have fun this weekend. Hagee said they’re expecting large crowds at parks and campsites across the state as families emerge from the pandemic, though that’s just another reason to be extra cautious when the grill is dusted off.
“When we get people doing things that they’re not normally doing, that’s when accidents happen, unfortunately,” he added.
The NWS is advising people to limit strenuous outdoor activity and drink plenty of fluids during the Heat Advisory.
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