Ask the PAC: Do California fire seasons ever end? Depends on who you ask

Although California is known for its year-round great weather, it’s not known for it’s different seasons. Probably because we don’t really have four seasons, here on the West Coast. However, a season we have of our own is the fire season. It shows up yearly, rain or shine, and requires a significant amount of planning and preparation.

This leads to our Ask the PAC question of the week:

Question: How do fire departments officials determine when fire season is over?

The Santa Rosa Fire Department declared an end to the local wildfire season Nov. 1, but statewide, there’s no such official pronouncement any more. That said, state officials have indicated the greatest period of wildfire threat should pass by mid-December - later than normal due to drought conditions.

“Since 2012, the fire season has significantly worsened, and increased in duration,” Cal Fire Cpt. Cody Parks said in a recent phone interview

About 2.5 million acres of land have burned in California through early November, nearly double the average amount of the past five years, according to Cal Fire.

“This year we have seen some of the worst fires of Californian history,” said Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director and Chief of Wildfire Planning & Engineering and Fire Engineering & Investigations Daniel Berlant via email. “We saw the Dixie fire which is the second-largest wildfire in Californian history, the Monument fire (14th biggest), Caldor fire (15th biggest) and the River Complex (17th biggest). We also saw two of the most destructive wildfires in Californian history through the Dixie fire (14th most destructive) and the Caldor fire (16th most destructive).”

Although cooler temperatures are expected across much of the state, there are elevated concerns in Northern California due to potentially gusty north to east winds and low humidity. However, by mid-December the fire season will finally be coming to an end.

“Cal Fire usually takes the lead on deciding when the fire season begins and comes to an end. It’s more a statewide decision,” explained Petaluma Fire Department Fire Marshal Jessica Power on call. “Once Cal Fire makes their decision, local fire departments make changes accordingly. Local decisions are mostly made depending on the weather and the resources their department has.”

For most larger fire departments, during fire season, agencies need to hire extra firefighters and stock up on resources to deal with the increase in fires. According to Berlant, October remains the month when California historically experiences some of its largest and most damaging wildfires.

“There is no official declaration to the start or end of the fire season anymore,” said Parks. “Some larger departments like Santa Rosa may have official declarations, but both Petaluma and Cal Fire departments don’t. Fire season usually begins in early spring and will last till late fall, but this largely depends on the weather. The state works closely with meteorologists and keeps track of several elements like the weather, field moisture, humidity and wind to make such decisions.”

So, in answer to the question. There is no official declaration of the start or the end to the fire season, but what we do know that it has definitely increased in length and often needs the firefighters to fly by the seats of their pants.