South Bay Firefighters Warn "The Smallest Spark" Could Cause Fires In Current Dry Condition

CBS Bay Area

June 12, 2024

SANTA CLARA COUNTY — California's recent wet winters brought much relief to the state, but it has now contributed to dangerous fire conditions.

The past couple of years brought rare, back-to-back wet winters, creating "a very heavy grass crop," according to Santa Clara County Fire Battalion Chief Bill Murphy. And with a one-day heat wave hitting parts of the Bay Area Tuesday, Murphy warned the conditions present higher-than-normal fire dangers.

"This grass only takes about an hour during the hot period of the day to where it's ready to burn. Even if it's foggy overnight, if we have a 90-degree temperature the next day at low humidity, the grass will be ready to burn again," Murphy said. "What we see in years like this is we actually tend to get more fires in years with heavy grass crops because the grass is so receptive to burning on a hot day."

Click here for the full story via CBS San Francisco

CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective.