In years past, the fire season in California began around June and continued until late October. But as noted during the Los Angeles County Fire Departmentโs (LACoFD) annual aircraft media day, the threat of major wildfires is now year-round.
The fire department displayed its suite of aerial firefighting resources at the Van Nuys Airport Sept. 5, which included a pair of Super Scoopers โ amphibious aircraft that can scoop up water out of lakes, rivers, reservoirs or the ocean and be dropped over raging fires โ that are leased from the government of Quรฉbec. This is the 32nd year the department has leased these aircraft.
The Santa Ana winds, which typically occur between September and May, are always a threat, especially with the lack of significant rainfall this past year, causing the dry vegetation throughout the county to be more prone to fires that could be easily spread by high winds.
The combination of dry vegetation and the powerful Santa Ana winds could result in potentially dangerous wildfires that could spread across thousands of acres in LA โ as was the case in January when wildfires burned approximately 57,000 acres and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses from Altadena to Pacific Palisades.
