California firefighters preps for Fourth of July holiday
SAN JOSE, Calif. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Fire season announced its arrival with a pair of small grass fires last week, and the upcoming Fourth of July holiday has Michael Seabury on edge.
"In my neighborhood, fireworks go off all the time," Seabury spoke.
Seabury says even one errant firework, if it were to land in the dry grass on San Jose's Communication Hill, could do tremendous damage.
He says fireworks near his home have been a perennial problem.
"They go off in the wee hours of the morning. I just try to stay alert and work with what I can work with within myself," Seabury shared.
Heart of the summer months
Cal Fire say the timing of this year's fire season was affected by all of the wet weather we had this winter.
But on the flipside, more rain means, more grass, and more fuel, now that we're entering the heart of the summer months.
"Our hillsides until recently were green. And they have a super fuel if you will. There's a large amount of vegetation on those hillsides. But as we reach these higher temperatures and lower humidity, those lush patches of vegetation are actually drying out quite rapidly," said Capt. Chris Bruno, Cal Fire spokesperson.
Minimize fire risk
Cal Fire is planning to staff up for the holiday weekend. They're also encouraging home and business owners to take precautions now to minimize their fire risk.
"We truly want to get the word out to our citizens of the state and encourage them to reduce those hazardous fuels that are around their properties, around their homes," Bruno added.
Seabury says he's taken all of the proper precautions, and just wishes something more could be done to discourage his neighbors from using fireworks in the first place.
"They're illegal. You can hear them. I mean they're shaking the windows. And like I said, people are going to find them. They're going to do whatever they do," Seabury expressed.
