Winter rains were the last thing on most Gilroyans’ minds
Saturday when temperatures climbed into triple digits and stayed
there into the evening.
Winter rains were the last thing on most Gilroyans’ minds Saturday when temperatures climbed into triple digits and stayed there into the evening.
But those rains have fueled what is now prime-time wildfire danger. Already, firefighters have been called out to extinguish a few brush blazes that fortunately didn’t make it past the “toddler” stage. What we witnessed, however, in the 1.5-acre brush fire that broke out Wednesday behind Gilroy High School, is the potential for disaster.
The hills are alive with the dry tinder to fuel a natural disaster. People often are lulled into a false sense of security, believing fire won’t threaten their homes until it’s right at the doorstep – far too late to do anything meaningful to stop the approaching flames.
The wet winter months, especially in March and April, provided plenty of water for weeds and grasses to grow tall throughout the South Valley.
All it takes is one spark to turn the hills into a raging inferno. To combat the threat, city and county fire officials ask residents to cut the tall grasses on their empty lots and create a defensible space around their homes of at least 100 feet. It’s a good start, but residents can do a little more to improve their safety. Removing wood piles close to their homes if they live near open spaces where the grass grows tall and clearing out dried leaves from their rain gutters makes sense.
Anyone who thinks they may be at serious risk or has other questions about how to prepare their home should call the California Department of Forestry.
And as the summer heat strikes with a vengeance, locals will need to practice a little common sense in their behavior. Putting out cigarettes in the car ashtray instead of flicking them out the window without a care in the world is responsible. So is not leaving your charcoal barbecue unattended on a windy day. Most wildfires, especially near urban areas, are caused by man, not nature.
Let’s not forget it was only in 2002, that the Croy Fire scorched more than 33,000 acres and destroyed 34 homes in South Valley in the hills near Morgan Hill. Firefighters determined that blaze was caused by unlikely suspect – an illegally installed solar panel unit in a country home.
The total cost for the Croy Fire: $9 million.
The stage is set for a disastrous wildfire season in 2006 – all that is really needed is some complacent landowners and a carelessly-caused spark or unattended flame – to wreak havoc on our lives.
Let’s be vigilant and be prepared for fires this summer. Of course we can cross our collective fingers and hope that they never ignite. But doing a little more may prevent a disaster.
