Salinas Fire prepares for a “busy” fire season

Flames took over a field near Constitution Boulevard in Salinas on Saturday. “I was walking the dog, and I saw all the smoke coming down to the end of the street,” said nearby resident Frank Troya.

Those who live nearby said it was an alarming sight. The fire burned 25 acres of empty land. On Sunday, the grounds were left smoldering. The Salinas Fire Department worked all day Sunday to clean up after the blaze. “We drive through, find areas where there are still smokes coming up, use hand tools, dig it up, start exposing the embers, and apply water to it,” said Salinas Fire Capt. Ben Majewski.

Majewski said the department is unsure of what started the fire but has an idea of why it spread. He explained that the recent high temperature did a great job of drying out the brush. He said this made the field a danger zone. “Everything in the hills and around the area, all the grass and brush, went from being green to dried out from those two days of high heat,” said Majewski.

Before those couple hot days, the Fire Department said the field was lush and green from months of rain. They said the same is true for many other areas. “Heavy rain in the winter doesn’t always translate to reduce fire season. The lighter fuels dry out fairly fast,” said Majewski.

Majewski said these conditions will make for a “busy” fire season.

The Fire Department recommends removing all debris and brush from around your home in preparation for the coming months.