With wildfire season approaching, California is experiencing another period of exceptional drought. Conditions now are even worse than a year ago, said Ben Nichols, chief of firefighters in the famed wine region of Napa Valley. And then, in August and September 2020, California experienced the worst fires in modern history.
“This spring, we had roughly 1,000 more fires across the state than in a typical year,” Nichols said. “The number of places where fires start is skyrocketing.”
The nervousness about what will happen in the coming weeks has not escaped President Biden. He announced today that the California fire service will earn more. “We are lagging behind and have neglected firefighting,” Biden said. Firefighters who only work during the dry season will be given a permanent position.
black mountain
“Look, that whole ridge is black. We saw the fire coming over the mountains, it glowed all night.” From the winery of Sheldon Richards you look on three sides into the valley above the town of Napa, a good hour’s drive from San Francisco. Several vineyards around Richards’s went up in flames last year. “The fire came from three sides,” he points out from his terrace. “We have been very lucky.”
The fires have become a part of life here, Richards says. In four of the past five summers, there have been fires around his home and business. “After six years of drought, between 2009 and 2015, the withered branches had piled up in the forest. It became kindling. It only took a spark and the trees became giant torches of fire. The persistent drought and the wind do the rest. “
Dozens of Richards’ neighbors lost their homes, with all the memories in it. “That’s the worst,” says the winegrower. “And on top of that, everyone loses their crop, me too,” he says. His vines are still there, but due to smoke damage, the 2020 grapes were no longer usable. “The vineyards that burned down also lost the harvest from the previous years, which was still in the barrels.”
Healthier forest
On the road with fire chief Ben Nichols, it appears that the winegrowers can also brace themselves for the coming weeks. Normally, the season of drought and higher fire risk lasts from June to September. “But in recent years, it starts as early as April and continues through November, or sometimes even January,” Nichols says. His men have been put to the test this spring, and the real work has yet to begin.
Climate scientists attribute the extreme drought, heat and wind to global warming. Fire Chief Ben Nichols says this is a situation they don’t normally see:
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