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Despite cold temps, it's still wildfire season in California

By
Updated  November 9, 2020 5:56am PST
Wildfires
KTVU FOX 2

Despite the cold, Cal Fire says it’s still fire season

Even though it's cold out, Cal Fire says it's still wildfire season. Greg Liggins reports

OAKLAND, Calif. - Much of the Bay Area saw temperatures plummet today, but that change hasn’t decreased the risk of fire danger.

The deadly and destructive Camp Fire two years ago happened during cold conditions similar to what parts of the Bay Area experienced Sunday

Depending on where you were, you may have experienced seen hail, crisp, cool sunshine, or cold, rain and wind.

The day brought a meteorological mix.

“It feels like a really extreme switch, for sure. We went from high heat to really cold winds,” said Ashley Rodde of Oakland.

“It's been cold. I’m not gonna lie. Cold and windy,” said Kris Vinay, hanging out with friends in Oakland.

It was also cold two years ago in November when the Camp Fire exploded, killing 85 people and destroying much of the town of Paradise.

“That occurred on a very chilly morning. I remember that day.  I woke up, saw the column from my house and I know it was bad. It was very, very windy, but it was really, really cold, probably I would say in the 40’s,” said Cal Fire spokesperson Lynne Tolmachoff.

Cal Fire is urging the public to stay vigilant as California enters the tail end of a record fire season that has burned more than 4 million acres, taken 31 lives, and consumed more than 10,000 structures.

The North Bay, due to its terrain and dry grasses, remains particularly vulnerable, based on analysis from what Cal Fire calls its predictive services team.

“One of the things that they made note of is that the fact that the North Bay, in particular, will probably stay above normal for potential fires throughout the month of November,” said Tolmachoff.

What wildland firefighters need is what Kris Vinay wants.

“I wish it rained more, but I wish, I really wish it rained more. I know we need a lot of rain,” said Vinay.

To put an end to fire season, Cal Fire says the rain will need to be more consistent, not like the fleeting, scattered rainfall of Sunday afternoon.

“That kind of rain may not do any good if it stops and wind comes in and dries those fuels out again, they just become ripe for fire,” said Tolmachoff.

Until the Bay Area gets into a pattern of consistent precipitation, fire danger will remain high.