Cal Fire chief discusses prescribed burns and why California's fire season is so active
PLACER COUNTY -- The Park Fire in Butte County and Tehama counties continues to burn out of control fueled by high temperatures, wind and dry brush.
"Honestly, with all the fuel vegetation in this area, it's been dry and primed to go," one Cal Fire crew member on the front line told CBS News.
Despite the same number of fires as the state's five-year average, the acreage burned this year is more than four times higher.
This year more than 763,000 acres have burned, whereas the five-year average for this time of year is only 166,000 acres.
Cal Fire attributes this fire season to two consecutive wet winters that allowed vegetation to grow, a mild fire season over that timeframe, and climate change.
"With the extreme heat we experienced in June and we're continuing to have in July, the fuels are completely dried out," Cal Fire Chief David Acuna said.
The California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force is working to burn up to 400,000 acres annually by next year as part of a broader goal to treat 1 million acres each year in California.
However, this year they were short of that goal.
"We can't eliminate grass from all of the state of California. So what we attempt to do is create an area where we can stop when it's still at its initial stage," Chief Acuna said.
How areas are chosen for fuel reduction depends on local agencies within each county. These areas are then relayed to local Cal Fire agencies which collaborate with third-party groups to treat the area.
Areas that are prioritized are those that would benefit from a fuel break or an area with homes nearby.
Cal Fire has a map identifying areas for future fuel reduction projects. To learn where those areas are, click here.
