County officials say Cal Fire warned of unusually high herbaceous fuel loads, urging defensible space

A Lake County supervisor reported that Cal Fire Director Chief Tyler told a recent task force meeting the herbaceous fuel load across the landscape is about four times normal and the highest level observed in 30 years, signaling an early and active fire season.

The supervisor said the modeling presented by Cal Fire showed an unusually heavy accumulation of fine fuels after several wet winters, and that Chief Tyler expressed concern about increased fire activity this season. The supervisor added that there already have been more fires this season than is typical for this point in the year and urged residents to maintain defensible space around homes.

The report to the Board of Supervisors did not include specific new county actions or funding tied to the briefing. Instead, county supervisors reiterated routine preparedness guidance: clearing brush and maintaining defensible space, reviewing evacuation plans and ensuring vulnerable residents have evacuation assistance plans.

The same supervisor also said they attended a forum where PG&E Chief Executive Patricia Poppe described improvements in utility performance and expected declines in customer bills; the supervisor noted Poppe’s comments while also telling colleagues that rural constituents continue to report high energy costs and limited electric-vehicle charging infrastructure.

No formal motions or votes followed the reports during the meeting. Supervisors said the county’s risk-reduction and CAO (chief administrative officer) meetings scheduled for the coming week will include wildfire-preparedness items and coordination with Cal Fire and local fire districts.

County officials encouraged residents to monitor Cal Fire and county emergency pages for local advisories during the season.