Folsom Crews Perform Prescribed Burns In Wet Weather For Future Fire Prevention
FOLSOM (CBS13) - In the last week, Northern California has seen much-needed rain in the Sacramento Valley and snow in the Sierra.
The wet weather is welcomed after a dry summer, but how much will it help? CBS13 visited Folsom to speak with fire crews and residents about current conditions.
The Folsom zoo, police department, city hall, and the Johnny Cash trail are all right next to each other.
"I usually come to walk my dog or sometimes to the zoo or sometimes my daughter has a soccer match here," said Dave Ganguli, who's lived in the Folsom area for years. "It's great for people living in Folsom."
But the area is surrounded by dry brush and trees the Folsom Fire Department says are ripe for burning.
"Once a fire gets going, it can do a lot," said Folsom Fire Battalion Chief Matt McGee.
So with rain in the forecast Monday, crews burned it to defend the area from a future fire.
"It's really nice to get this all cleaned up," McGee said.
In the last week, the Folsom area has accumulated seven inches of rain, helping fire crews to control prescribed burns.
"Any moisture we get is definitely a good thing," McGee said.
But is it enough to have an impact on the drought and future dry conditions? According to leaders with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's drought task force, parts of California would have to see 200% of typical precipitation over the next three months to improve the statewide drought – and despite recent wet weather. Officials in Folsom do say they expect a dry winter ahead.
"It's an indication that wintertime is coming, but we're not out of fire season yet," McGee said. "We anticipate we will have significant fire danger through the winter now."
