INTERVIEW: Cal Fire's Daniel Berlant Warns Fire Danger Far From Over In California

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Don't let the wet weather fool you; the fire threat in California is still real.

We sat down with Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant to talk about the fire danger looming, even after a drought.

SAM SHANE: I'm going to put you on the spot a little bit here. When we get a lot of rain, you guys say, 'Well, there's a lot of vegetation, it's going to be a bad fire year,' then when we don't get a lot of rain you say, 'Well, it's really dry out there; it's going to be a bad fire year.' The fact of the matter is we live in California and every year is pretty dangerous, right?

BERLANT: Here in California, it doesn't matter if we get a lot of rain or no rain, the truth is we're going to see wildfires. It's just a matter of where and when, not really a matter of if. So, yes, we definitely have to be prepared despite the little bit of rain we got this year

ADRIENNE MOORE: And we always sound a little bit like a broken record this time of the year when we're starting to get fire ready. What exactly do homeowners need to be doing right now to make sure they're prepared ahead of fire season?

BERLANT: We do have to talk about it every single year, because unfortunately the grass does grow, and it's very important this time of year that residents are clearing their dead vegetation. The weeds are growing, the grass is growing, trees grow; you've got to trim them back. A hundred feet of defensible space is what's going to significantly help your home and your family be able to survive a major wildfire. So that's what you should be doing this time of year as we are preparing for what could be a very busy fire season. We really need the public to be prepared as well.

SHANE: Last year we had a drought, and this year we had a nice little year in terms of rain.
Is anything different from this year as opposed to last year?

BERLANT: The rain has been great, but after five years of drought now, we're seeing significant tree mortality. All those trees, it doesn't matter how much rain we get today or this year, those trees aren't coming back. They are a significant fire risk. So we still need to be prepared. We're prepared; we already have firefighters already fired up. But with Wildfire Awareness Week next week and fire season just around the corner, the public needs to do their part as well.