Fire season could be dangerous this year

Not two weeks into summer and we have already entered fire season. High winds and dry grass around Petaluma have set off two blazes in the area recently, a 107-acre fire on Stage Gulch Road and a 27-acre fire on Sonoma Mountain.

The two fires are stark reminders that Petaluma is not immune to destructive blazes, despite having been spared the damage of the past three fire seasons. One spark during a substantial wind, like the kind that frequently blows through the Petaluma Gap, and the city could face the same fate as Santa Rosa during the Tubbs fire of 2017.

Fortunately, with the early start to fire season, we won’t have the added threat of fireworks, which Petaluma banned this year. The colorful booths selling Piccolo Petes, Roman Candles and other popular Fourth of July pyrotechnics were nowhere to be seen in Petaluma this year.

The City Council made a prudent decision to ban fireworks, following the example of most of Sonoma County’s other cities in the wake of deadly wildfires. This July 4, fire officials don’t need to differentiate between illegal and so-called safe and sane fireworks as in year’s past. Since all fireworks are illegal, any activity could be subject to fines both for those lighting the fuse and for the property owner who hosts the display.

As climate change continues to warm the planet, we can expect another unusually hot, dry summer. First responders are already gearing up for a busy fire season.

Fire agencies are reminding people to take extra precautions this summer and fall during the hottest time of the year when a small lawnmower spark or a cigarette butt can cause a major conflagration.

Good fire safety begins with creating so-called defensible space, essentially a buffer zone between your home and the dry vegetation that is kindling for a wildland fire.

According to Cal Fire, the first defensible space zone should extend 30 feet from buildings and decks. In that zone, you should remove all dead plants, grass and weeds, remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles from your roof and rain gutters, trim trees regularly to keep branches a minimum of 10 feet from other trees, remove branches that hang over your roof and keep dead branches 10 feet away from your chimney.

You should also create a separation between trees, shrubs and items that could catch fire, such as patio furniture and wood piles.

A second defensible space zone should extend 100 feet from your home. In this zone, cut or mow grass down to a maximum height of four inches, create horizontal space between shrubs and trees, create vertical space between grass, shrubs and trees and remove fallen leaves, needles, twigs, bark, cones and small branches.

When camping this summer, make sure campfires are in an open location at least five feet from grass or trees.

Before leaving a campsite, make sure the fire is extinguished by using what Cal Fire calls the “drown, stir and feel” method: Drown the fire with water, then stir around the fire area with a shovel to wet any remaining embers and ash. Be sure to turn wood and coals over and wet all sides. Move some dirt onto the fire site and mix thoroughly to fully smother it, then feel the area with the back of your hand to ensure nothing is still smoldering.

Lawnmowers and other outdoor equipment should be used in the morning, before 10 a.m. and never on windy or excessively dry days. A mower blade can catch a rock and cause a spark that starts a blaze. In wildland areas, grinding and welding operations require a permit and 10 feet of clearance. Also, Cal Fire recommends not driving onto dry grass or brush as hot exhaust pipes and mufflers can start fires that you won’t even see until it’s too late.

Nobody wants to be the cause of a major fire. But with arid, brown hills surrounding the city and coastal winds that whip through the Petaluma Gap, the chances are high that someone will inadvertently set off a blaze.

If you follow all of the fire safety guidelines, that someone won’t be you.