After a dry winter, the state of California is already experiencing an uptick in dangerous wildfires. Currently, more than 2,000 CAL FIRE Local 2881 members, as well as hundreds of fire fighters from several other IAFF locals, are working the fire spanning 88,000 acres in Napa and Yolo counties, dubbed the “County Fire.”
“The dry winter and vegetation still affected by California’s five-year drought makes it easy for fires to ignite and spread,” says 10th District Vice President Frank Lima. “Through hard work, our members are steadily gaining control of this fire.”
“While there have been fewer fires, the fires we do have are bigger,” says CAL FIRE Local 2881 President Cliff Allen. “That has made for a busy season for our members. To combat fire fighter fatigue, we have been working with CAL FIRE to release personnel as early as it is safe to do so.”
The County Fire ignited Saturday, June 31. Due to extremely windy conditions and the dry vegetation, the fire quickly spread to its current size and now threatens hundreds of homes.
The fire is currently 30 percent contained.