Quick Take
Fire season has been fairly quiet through the first three weeks of July in Santa Cruz County, despite blazes erupting across California. However, local fire personnel caution that the driest and hottest time of the year is still ahead of us. Departments are taking proactive steps to mitigate fire hazards and are reminding people to always be prepared.
So far, Santa Cruz County hasn’t seen any major blazes this wildfire season. However, that is in stark contrast to the rest of the state. Across California, fire season has proved to be even more destructive than it usually is.
“We’ve been lucky locally, but throughout the state, we’ve actually seen a significant increase,” said Santa Cruz Fire Department Chief Rob Oatey.
Already this year, more than 4,000 wildfires have broken out across the state, according to statistics from Cal Fire. Those fires have burned a staggering 20 times the number of acres as last year — about 242,000 acres of land burned to 21,000 at this time last year.
Far Northern California is currently getting hit the hardest, and Santa Cruz County fire agencies have sent personnel to different locations to help fight fires. Oatey said the SCFD has sent a fire captain, an engineer/driver and two firefighters to the Shelly fire burning northwest of Mount Shasta. As of Sunday evening, it had reached 15,500 acres and was only 29% contained. Cal Fire, Scotts Valley Fire Department and the Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County have also dispatched crews with the same personnel to other fires across the state.
Oatey said that since 2020’s catastrophic CZU Lightning Complex fire, fire activity has been somewhat quiet around Santa Cruz County. But he added that heavy rains over the past few winters might actually be contributing to the rapid spread of fires this year. He explained that while heavy rains can improve drought conditions, they can also cause grass and vegetation to grow very quickly. During the hot, dry summer months, that can be a big problem.
“We had that early heat wave in June and we’re seeing it come back in the inland parts of the state now, which is causing rapid drying of those fuels,” said Oatey. “So we’re seeing these things not only ignite, but spread rather quickly.”
So what’s the local outlook for the rest of the fire season?
Even though Santa Cruz County hasn’t seen any major fire events thus far, Oatey said residents and fire personnel have to treat it as a “when, not if” situation. He said he anticipates the widespread drying of grass and vegetation to happen here soon, especially as August, September and October – often the driest and hottest time of the year – approach.
“I believe we will end up having similar conditions, and then all it takes is a red flag warning with high winds and relatively low humidity, and we could see a very similar incident,” he said. “We’re sort of always on high alert.”
Oatey said that, predictably, local fire departments are most concerned about the mountain regions, where the heat is usually at its most extreme and there are plenty of trees, shrubs, and dry grass fields to burn. In fact, just last Friday, a fire broke out in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Thankfully, crews from Ben Lomond Fire Protection District, Boulder Creek Fire Protection District, and Cal Fire CZU brought it under control before it even reached an acre in size.
Closer to Santa Cruz, crews are keeping a close eye on open spaces near or within the city, like Arana Gulch, Pogonip and Arroyo Seco. Oatey said SCFD is working with the city’s parks and recreation department to clear excess vegetation and create space for firefighters to access a possible blaze.
“All of our fire departments have definitely been much more proactive as a whole,” he said, adding that fortunately, the community is engaged in fire safety, particularly since the CZU fire’s devastation. “That and other notable incidents have raised awareness, and people have really turned a negative into a positive.”
And what should locals keep in mind? For Oatey, it’s “prepare, prepare, prepare.”
He said those living in the mountains or near open spaces should consider routinely checking out their property, clearing any dead debris and creating as much defensible space between the home and susceptible vegetation as possible. He added that one should always have a communication plan with family and know at least two ways out of their neighborhood.
Cal Fire Santa Cruz-San Mateo Unit (CZU) spokesperson Cecile Juliette, who herself is currently assisting efforts to slow the Shelly fire, added that reporting fire activity early is imperative for fast response times: “As soon as you see smoke, call 911. All wildfires start small.”
Juliette also added that mowing grass or using power tools outdoors should be kept to the early morning and the evening hours to avoid the potential for sparks to ignite a fire during the hottest time of the day.
And if the worst comes to worst, evacuate early.
“If you wait and think about it, it’s going to be a lot harder to evacuate when there are a lot of other people doing the same thing,” she said. “So, do yourself a favor and if there’s a fire nearby, have a plan in place and get out early.”
SCFD has a preparation guide on its website for people to use to prepare and act quickly if a fire breaks out.
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