IN STUDIO WITH MORE.# THAT’S RIGHT DAN.. AS THE HEAT TURNS UP … SO DO CONCERNS ABOUT WILDFIRES. BUT CAL FIRE SAYS RIGHT NOW… FIRE CONCERNS FROM VEGETATION ARE RELATIVELY LOW. THAT’S BECAUSE GRASSES AND OTHER FINE FUELS ACROSS THE REGION ARE STILL GREEN AND ACTIVELY GROWING THIS TIME OF YEAR. STILL… THEY SAY THIS IS A GOOD REMINDER FOR PEOPLE TO PRACTICE FIRE SAFETY… ESPECIALLY WHILE RESIDENTIAL BURNING IS STILL ALLOWED IN SOME AREAS. <“WE’RE IN OUR SEASONAL GREEN UP OF FUELS, SO WE’RE ACTUALLY AT THE POINT WHERE THE FUELS ARE THE WETTEST AND THEY’RE SUCKING IN THE MOST MOISTURE AND THEY’RE STARTING TO GROW FOR THE GROWING SEASON. SO WHILE THIS HEAT IS RECORD, THE FUELS ARE NOT IN THE MOST RECEPTIVE CONDITION RIGHT NOW. “THEY STILL NEED TO CALL THE AIR BOARD AND SEE IF ITS A BURN DAY. THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE DOING THE IMPORTANT CLEARANCE THINGS, SO IF THEY DO HAVE A BURN PILE IT NEEDS TO BE FOUR FOOT BY FOUR FOOT AND THEY NEED TO HAVE TEN FOOT OF MINERAL SOIL AROUND THAT WHOLE BURN PILE. THEY NEED TO HAVE WATER, A SHOVEL AND THEY NEED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE THE WHOLE TIME.” > CAL FIRE SAYS AS THE REGION MOVES CLOSER TO SUMMER… THOSE FUELS WILL EVENTUALLY DRY OUT… MAKING CONDITIONS MORE FAVORABLE FOR FIRES TO START AND SPREAD. THEY SAY IF YOU DO PLAN TO BURN… MAKE SURE TO CHECK DAILY BURN PERMITS… KEEP WATER OR TOOLS NEARBY… AND NEVER LEAVE A FIRE UNATTENDED. FIRE AGENCIES WILL ALSO CONTINUE USING PRESCRIBED BURNS TO REDUCE DRY FUELS AND LOWER FIRE RISK LATER IN THE SEASON. TO SEE WHERE LOCAL PLANN
Rising temperatures prompt wildfire safety reminders in California
Updated: 5:09 PM PDT Mar 16, 2026
As temperatures increase in California, CAL FIRE is urging residents to practice fire safety, even though the current risk from vegetation is relatively low due to green and actively growing grasses and fine fuels.”We’re in our seasonal green-up of fuels, so we’re actually at the point where the fuels are the wettest, and they’re sucking in the most moisture, and they’re starting to grow for the growing season,” CAL FIRE deputy chief of state operations, James Allen, said. “They still need to call the air board and see if it’s a burn day. They have to make sure they’re doing the important clearance things, so if they do have a burn pile it needs to be four foot by four foot and they need to have ten foot of mineral soil around that whole burn pile. They need to have water, a shovel and they need to be in attendance the whole time.”CAL FIRE says that as the region moves closer to summer, these fuels will eventually dry out, making conditions more favorable for fires to start and spread. They advise residents planning to burn to check daily burn permits, keep water or tools nearby, and never leave a fire unattended.Fire agencies will also continue using prescribed burns to reduce dry fuels and lower fire risk later in the season. Residents can monitor the CAL FIRE’s website to see where local planned burns are occurring.
SALINAS, Calif. —
As temperatures increase in California, CAL FIRE is urging residents to practice fire safety, even though the current risk from vegetation is relatively low due to green and actively growing grasses and fine fuels.
“We’re in our seasonal green-up of fuels, so we’re actually at the point where the fuels are the wettest, and they’re sucking in the most moisture, and they’re starting to grow for the growing season,” CAL FIRE deputy chief of state operations, James Allen, said. “They still need to call the air board and see if it’s a burn day. They have to make sure they’re doing the important clearance things, so if they do have a burn pile it needs to be four foot by four foot and they need to have ten foot of mineral soil around that whole burn pile. They need to have water, a shovel and they need to be in attendance the whole time.”
CAL FIRE says that as the region moves closer to summer, these fuels will eventually dry out, making conditions more favorable for fires to start and spread.
They advise residents planning to burn to check daily burn permits, keep water or tools nearby, and never leave a fire unattended.
Fire agencies will also continue using prescribed burns to reduce dry fuels and lower fire risk later in the season.
Residents can monitor the CAL FIRE’s website to see where local planned burns are occurring.