Santa Cruz County firefighters gear up for an active ‘fire year’

Cal Fire Unit Chief Jed Wilson says the state agency used to staff up only when conditions were ripe for serious wildfires, like extended periods of dry heat and strong winds. Now, Cal Fire begins staffing up in mid-March, pulling from seasonal groups of firefighters that are staggered throughout the year so staffing needs are always met. It stays that way through mid-December.

That extended staffing reflects a stark new reality for Santa Cruz County and much of California: The traditional fire season has become a year-round threat.

With major blazes now occurring even in winter months and increasingly dry conditions stretching well into fall, fire agencies across the county are changing how they respond to fire risks. When crews aren’t actively fighting fires, they’re working with homeowners on trying to prevent them, conducting thousands of property inspections, carrying out prescribed burns and encouraging residents to clear brush and debris from around their homes. With fire becoming an ever-present reality, there is always something to do.

“It’s kind of the fire year now,” said Wilson, chief of the state fire agency’s Santa Mateo-Santa Cruz (CZU) unit.

This year’s fire weather is already here. Jason Nee, chief of the Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County, said his agency anticipates the fire season will be an “active” one, something that is becoming far more common than when Nee first started his career. 

“Fire season is a year-round challenge for the California fire service, and in my 25 years, I’ve never seen it like this,” he said. “There’s no denying that things are changing, and I think we need to start reckoning with this change.”

The immediate forecast shows that warm, dry weather is likely here to stay for the foreseeable future, said National Weather Service meteorologist Roger Gass. He said that wetting rains – precipitation that exceeds one-tenth of an inch during a given forecast period – likely won’t arrive until October.

“Grasses and fuels will continue to dry out, and we don’t anticipate much rain aside from coastal drizzle and some in higher terrains,” he said. 

Shifting fire seasons have already manifested in alarming ways. Major incidents like the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires in Southern California in January now occur in the dead of winter, upending traditional expectations. 

In Santa Cruz County, it can be easy to get complacent because of the cool coastal moisture and fog that rolls in most mornings. That complacency presents a challenge for firefighters, Nee said. “It’s not in our face all the time like it is in some of the windier, drier areas, which really create a heightened sense of alert for folks,” he said. 

However, the new reality of a year-round fire season has pushed fire officials to emphasize that the community should be proactive in preparing for a potential blaze at any time. “When we have a foggy May or the ‘June gloom,’ that’s where we should be taking action for ourselves,” Nee said. 

Wilson said Cal Fire will carry out fuel reduction projects in fire-prone zones, like prescribed burns and shaded fuel breaks — a wildland area where vegetation is removed to slow the spread of a fire. James Allen, Cal Fire CZU deputy chief of state operations, said the unit has assisted with prescribed burns in Santa Clara and Monterey counties already this year, and is planning for two more in Santa Cruz County in the near future — one in the Soquel Demonstration Forest and one in the Empire Grade area.

But the first step in fire preparation, officials stress, starts at home.

Scotts Valley Deputy Fire Marshal Erin Collins emphasizes that establishing defensible space — the buffer between your home and the surrounding area — is the most important thing a homeowner can do to prepare. That means removing any vegetation that could ignite and quickly spread to a house. In California, 100 feet of defensible space is required by law in wildland areas, and Collins recommends homeowners remove flammable objects from within a 5-foot radius of their home.

“To be honest, that gives people the most heartache, because these are beautiful plants that they have or patio furniture that has fabric cushions,” she said. “It’s that kind of stuff that we’re really trying to push removing or relocating those further away from your house.”

Collins said she inspects properties for defensible space by request, complaint or even if she drives by a place and sees possible cause for concern.

Wilson said Cal Fire inspected 3,500 to 4,000 properties in 2024, and pointed to the agency’s defensible zone guide that homeowners can follow for themselves. Nee said Central Fire aims to perform defensible space inspections from spring to fall: “That’s when it seems like people are more receptive to it, because they see the state catching on fire, and they start reaching out.”

Property owners who might tackle home maintenance projects, like creating defensible space or fixing areas where embers may get into the house, just once a year need to start making fire preparations year-round, Collins said. “Now, you’re going to have to take care of it maybe three times a year.” Wilson said that people might also consider upgrading certain home features, like roofs, to a non-combustible composite material.

So aside from clearing the area around your house of possible fuels for fires, what should people do before a blaze erupts? Pack a go bag or emergency supply kit and make a fire evacuation plan, said Wilson. It’s also helpful for residents to make sure their home address can be easily seen from the street by emergency crews. And if people are forced to evacuate, it’s best for everyone to travel in one vehicle.

“If you have, say, 50 homes, and each of those homes have four cars on average, and they all left with three, you’d have 150 cars on the road,” he said.

Nee added that Central Fire is promoting Firewise communities — a group of neighbors and community members who help each other prepare for fires and promote ideas such as creating defensible space and keeping useful supplies. He said those interested in forming a Firewise community can reach out to Central Fire, which can get them in touch with someone to provide guidance on getting started. The process is also laid out on the Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County website.

The more proactive people are, said Nee, the easier it will be to act fast if and when the next major fire comes.

“We cannot assume that these things are in a distant, faraway land. They’re happening across the state and we should anticipate and be prepared for the fact that one day, this will come to our community again,” he said. “It’s in our best interest to be as prepared as possible.”

“Help us help you is the baseline model,” said Allen. He puts it simply: “Let’s get all this stuff done ahead of time so that when something happens, your house is ready to go, and it can almost stand alone without a fireman there. You can leave the area and it’s an easy win for us to save your house and not a real challenge.”

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