Determining risk of wildfires has been done by firefighting agencies across the nation with the help of plants. In a video published today (Friday) from the Cal Fire CZU San Mateo Santa Cruz unit, the process is explained…
- Moisture content is checked of three common shrubs scattered throughout the CZU unit: Coyote Brush, Manzanita, Chamise
- This year and prior year’s growth are snipped from 4 locations in San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties.
- The snippings are taken back to Felton Headquarters and are weighed.
- Snippings are cured for 24 hours at 200 degrees.
- After the samples are dehydrated, they are weighed again.
- The data goes to a national database to help firefighting agencies determine staffing levels and risk.
And later in the video, the following update was announced regarding wildfire risk:
“For late May 2021, most sites continue to see decreases in live fuel moistures… Some quite dramatically. The Pulgas and Saratoga Summit sites are at historic lows for Mid-May”.
For more information on how to prepare for wildfires, visit ReadyForWildfire.Org.
See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsbbJKr6wBE
