Wildfires in the county’s unincorporated regions have stayed relatively low for this time of year, with just 71 vegetation fires so far in 2023 in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, compared to 107 for the same time period last year.
That’s according to Nate Armstrong, who serves as unit chief for Santa Cruz County’s Cal Fire division.
But Armstrong warned the County Supervisors during their Aug. 8 meeting that, with grasses and brush drying out in the warm, dry summer, the fire season could peak later than usual, possibly in September or October, which is a similar scenario to what happened in 2017.
“Cal Fire’s main operational objective is to keep 95% of fires to 10% or less, and by and large we do a great job of that,” he said.
Armstrong says the low number of fires so far can be attributed to the exceptionally wet winter.
But those rains also fueled growth of forest understory and grasses, and left behind debris that could serve as fuel and increase the fire danger this year, and in the coming years.
While part of Armstrong’s presentation included outlining Cal Fire’s equipment—11 helicopters statewide, and 22 air tankers, for example—he stressed that it is the boots-on-the-ground hand crews that make the difference when battling a blaze.
“I’ve never seen a fire completely put out with aircraft,” he said. “It all comes down to the folks on the ground.”
The county is trying to build up its ranks of roughly 70 volunteers, with five volunteer companies in South Skyline, Bonny Doon, Loma Prieta, Davenport and Corralitos.
But recruiting and retaining volunteers can be a challenge, he says, adding that the problem is especially prevalent with the crews of state prison inmates who are trained to help battle fires.
Just 72 of the 152 crews are sufficiently staffed statewide, and of those only 61 have enough people to safely respond to fires, Armstrong says.
Cal Fire spokesman Issac Sanchez says that the agency has addressed the reduction by entering into agreements with organizations such as California Conservation Corps, California Military Department and by requesting resources from local and federal officials.
Cal Fire has also hired seasonal firefighters to make up for the lagging numbers.
But those measures have not completely made up for the reductions in volunteers, Sanchez says.
“CDCR hand crews, like all hand crews, are part of every vegetation fire response and are sent as part of the initial dispatch,” he says. “We see these resources as valuable in our efforts to not only combat vegetation fires but also in preparing communities for fires through fuel reduction projects.”
The reduction in inmate crews is caused by recent changes to state sentencing laws that have significantly reduced the incarcerated population.
The Covid-19 pandemic also significantly reduced the number of people who would be eligible for the Conservation Camp Program, says CDCR spokeswoman Tessa Outhyse.
About 1,800 people make up the current Conservation Camp Program, Outhyse says, which she says is an increase from last year.
About 970 of these, Outhyse says, are qualified to work on fire lines and can respond to emergencies all over the state at a moment’s notice.
Camp participants can also serve their time in the kitchen, laundry, grounds maintenance and water treatment plant.
Last week, more than 100 incarcerated firefighters assisted crews with emergencies in at least four counties across California, Outhyse she says.
CDCR is working on a pilot program to expand opportunities for youthful offenders and their peer mentors to participate in the camps. Officials frequently recruit eligible inmates from the state’s institutions.
They also tell them about the opportunities afforded to incarcerated firefighters after their release, such as the Ventura Training Center, which provides further training to inmates who have participated on fire crews.
Inmates can also have their record expunged through Assembly Bill 2147.
