Fire season

California is a hot, dry place in summer. According to a long-time wildland firefighter here, it is easy to tell whether it will be a bad fire season here.

If it has been a wet year, a larger-than-usual crop of weeds and smaller plants will grow. When they dry in the heat of summer, they will produce an excess of light fuel, and it will be a bad fire season.

Conversely, if it has been a dry winter, all the heavy fuels will dry out and contain less moisture, and it will be a bad fire season.