May-June 2007 Alpine Barona East County El Cajon Grossmont ...

theZONE6(Continued from page 5)Critical Fuelsimportant. These conditions should be closely monitored as the summer fire season progresses.Safety Concerns to Firefighters:• Below Average Live Fuel Moistures near Critical Level.• Frost kill Sumac & Buckwheat brush.• Large numbers of Dead Oak Trees.• Beetle killed Pine Trees – Mt. Laguna & PalomarBuildup of dead fuel in the brush stands, particularly the east side of the District.( Pine Valley, Corte Madera, Kitchen Creek, La Posta, Bear Valley areas )Here's the latest from Palomar District. Look at the graph closely. Notice how low the live fuel moisture readings are showing.Compare this April to last April on the bar graph. Compare this April to last September, their about the same.Remember Critical Fuel Moisture Level is 60%. We are well below that and it's the beginning of the drying season !In a "normal" year, we would get grass fires in May & early June that would burn the grass but not the brush because the live fuelmoistures were too high. This year the brush is already cured. As soon as the grass cures, I expect to see these fires get up & moverapidly through the brush.!Battalion Chief Jeff Robinson