NWS declares red flag warning for Bay Area; Cal Fire on alert
SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- The Red Flag Warning has Cal Fire anticipating what could be another busy firefighting stretch ahead. ABC7 News spoke to fire officials to see how they are preparing.
The dry lightning is already a huge concern and, if you combine that with wind and dry brush, this could create a very difficult scenario for firefighters.
Everywhere we look outside, it seems as though there is a whole lot of brown, but tonight there is a new concern -- a red flag warning in effect for parts of the Bay Area.
"As we look at the amount of fire activity we've already had this year, and the current number of fires that have started over the last several days due to lightning, we have a long road ahead of us," Cal Fire division Chief Nick Schuler said.
With lightning in the forecast, but very little rain expected throughout the bay, Cal Fire crews are bracing for a challenge.
The Cabin Fire in the Sequoia National Forest was caused by lightning. A prime example of how quickly the flames can spread under the right conditions, especially in a remote area.
"There aren't a lot of people around to report them to 911, so seeing a fire in a remote area like that, is something that really helps us to be able to, if we get that report, then we can get resources out there quicker," Cal Fire division Chief Jim Crawford said.
Crawford says that they have also brought in additional equipment from local agencies in the event it's needed. In fact, Cal Fire has already called all of its available firefighters back to work, meaning if they're not on vacation, they're on the schedule ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.
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"We're looking at basically any kind of fire that's out there, we stand the potential of having a large damaging fire occur within the Bay Area, as well as other places in California. So that's really our concern right now," Crawford explained.
And with the dry conditions we're seeing with the drought, fire officials say the season is still very young.
