The Bay Area’s unprecedented Red Flag Fire Warning in May could become the norm not the exception.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of the Bay Area late Friday night and extended it until Tuesday at 6 P.M. Experts believe this early warning is another indicator of fire season being year round in the Bay Area.
Fire prevention practices such as branch trimming, weed whacking, and goat grazing, that used to be associated with August or September now need to be in full swing in May.
Property inspections for the 20,000 people who live in Oakland's riskiest fire zones usually start in late May or June, which is too late for last weekend's unprecedented early fire warning.
“There is a false sense of security because (people) think it’s May. They don’t think that it’s fire season,” Oakland Fire Battalion Chief Chris Landry said. “We have to change the way we think that in California it’s fire season all year round.”
This accelerated timeline may mean moving up inspection schedules, however Landry warned that property owners should not do it too early because recently cut growth has plenty of time to grow back later.
“We need to be prepared all year along, and we need to identify those areas that have tall fuels and reduce them, thin them out and prepare ourselves for fire season whenever it comes, whether it’s in May or if it’s in July or August,” Landry said.
Last year the first Red Flag Warning in the Bay Area did not come until July.