>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: STEVEN FILLMORE WALKS UP A CHAPARRAL COVERED HILL SIDE IN THE EAST
COUNTY COMMUNITY OF DESCANSO.
>> >>: WE'VE GOT SCISSORS AND A SMALL SAW, AND SOME LOPPERS.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: FILLMORE IS FUEL OFFICER WITH THE CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST.
HE'S ON A MISSION TO TEST VEGETATION MOISTURE LEVELS TO DETERMINE THE FIRE DANGER.
>> >>: WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE PLANTS THAT ARE ALIVE, WHEN WE TAKE THESE SAMPLES AND
TAKE PIECES OFF THAT, WE'RE TAKING THE LIVE FUEL MOISTURE.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: LIVE FUEL MOISTURE IS THE LIVING PART OF THE PLANT.
DEAD FUEL MOISTURE IS DEAD BRANCHES OR STICKS ON THE GROUND.
>> >>: YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE SOME DEAD STICKS COMING OFF IT, INNER MIXED WITH THE LIVE.
SO YOU HAVE BOTH LIVE AND DEAD FUEL MOISTURE IN THE SAME PLANT.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: THESE CHAPARRAL PLANTS HERE IN DESCANSO ARE SO DRY THEY CRUMBLE IN
MY HAND.
CLIMATOLOGISTS ARE WARNING SOME VEGETATION AROUND SAN DIEGO COUNTY IS THE DRYEST IT'S
BEEN FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR IN NEARLY A CENTURY.
SAN DIEGO'S RAIN FALL IS FOUR IMPS BELOW NORMAL.
SOME PARTS OF THE STATE EXPERIENCE THE DRYEST WINTER ON RECORD.
THAT'S LEFT SHRUBS PRIME TO BURN.
CALIFORNIA FIRE FIGHTERS HAVE BATTLED MORE THAN 2000 FIRES SO FAR THIS YEAR AND THE PEEK
OF THE SEASON IS STILL MONTHS AWAY.
FILLMORE CLIPS THE NEWEST GROWTH FROM THE TIPS OF THE CHIMISE AND FILLS HIS GLASS JAR.
HE SAYS THE PLANT IS FULLY BLOOMED WITH LITTLE WHITE FLOWERS AND HOLDS ENOUGH MOISTURE TO
STAVE OFF FUTURE FIRES FOR TWO MONTHS.
>> >>: THEY'VE BEEN STRESSED.
WHEN THEY'RE STRESSED THEY DON'T PUT AS MANY RESOURCES INTO GROWING THAT NEW GROWTH, PLOWING,
AND PUTTING OUT THE SEED CROP.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: FILLMORE TAKES THE CROP BACK TO THE LAB.
>> >>: WE NEED TO GET THE WET WEIGHT OF THIS, WHICH IS JUST THE WEIGHT OF THE FUEL WHEN
IT'S STILL WET BEFORE WE'VE DRIED IT.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: HE SUBTRACTS THE WEIGHT OF THE JAR AND MEASURES THE SAMPLES IN GRAMS.
>> >>: THIS IS 200GRAMS.
WE RECORD THE 200GRAMS AS THE WET WEIGHT.
THEN WE JUST SIMPLY PUT THAT IN THE OVEN AT 212DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND COOK IT FOR ABOUT
24 HOURS.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: THE OVEN COOKS AWAY THE REMAINING MOISTURE UNTIL THE SAMPLES ARE BONE
DRY.
FILLMORE CALCULATES THE FUEL MOISTURE PERCENTAGES.
>> >>: THIS ONE WAS 200GRAMS WHEN WE PUT IT IN THE OVEN AND IT'S NOW 194GRAMS, IT'S LOST
SIX GRAMS OF MOISTURE.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: THE SAMPLES ALL MEASURE BELOW 60% FUEL MOISTURE WHICH IS IN THE CRITICAL
THRESHOLD FOR FIRE DANGER.
THE LOWEST THEY GO IS 50%, AT THAT LEVEL THE PLANT BASICALLY SHUTS DOWN AND RESTORES ALL
REMAINING MOISTURE IN ITS CORE UNTIL IT ARE RAINS AGAIN.
FILLMORE SAYS DRY VEGETATION IS A HUGE CONCERN BECAUSE LOW FUEL MOISTURE CREATES GREATER
FIRE INTENSITY AND HIGHER AND FASTER MOVING FLAMES.
>> >>: THE ENERGY THAT THE FIRE IS PUTTING INTO SUSTAINING ITSELF GETS LOST WHEN IT'S
TRYING TO Y EVAPORATE OFF THAT MOISTURE.
WHEN IT'S NOT HAVING TO DO THAT, THE FIRE CAN PUT MORE ENERGY INTO THE FLAME LENGTHS
AND HOW FAST IT MOVES.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: FILLMORE TRAINS FIRE FIGHTERS ON FUELS BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
CAN BE LIFE SAVING ON THE FRONT LINES OF A RAGING FIRE.
>> >>: THE MORE THEY KNOW U ABOUT THE FUEL MOISTURES AND ALL THE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL
PARAMETERS HAPPENING ON A FIRE, CONCEIVABLY THE SAFER THEY WILL BE.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: THE FUEL MOISTURE DATA IS PASSED ON TO FIRE AND WEATHER OFFICIALS
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND STATE WHO DETERMINED WHEN TO ISSUE FIRE ALERTS AND FLAG WARNINGS.
>> >>: TOMORROW WE'RE AT A HUNDRED DEGREES, THE FUEL MOISTURE IS AT 60 WHICH WE CONSIDER
A CRITICAL FUEL MOISTURE.
THEN YOU GET A FIRE ON A MODERATELY STEEP SLOPE.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: RICHARD BOEN IS A FIRE ENGINEER WITH THE CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST.
HE SAYS UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, MORE RESOURCES WOULD BE ON STAND BY BECAUSE IT WOULD BE VERY
DIFFICULT TO SUPPRESS A FIRE TO UNDER 10ACRES.
>> >>: IF IT GOES OVER, SAY, 10ACRES, THAT'S WHEN IT'LL REACH ITS RESISTENCE TO CONTROL
WHERE IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT MOW RESOURCES, PLANNING, EVERYTHING TO GET IT UNDER.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: SAN DIEGO'S TOPOGRAPHY OF STEEP CANYONS AND FOOT HILLS MAKES IT ONE
OF THE MOST EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR AREAS IN THE COUNTRY.
FILLMORE SAYS THEY'RE KEEPING A CLOSE WATCH ON FUELS AND MAINTAINING A HIGH LEVEL OF RESPONSE.
>> >>: I ALWAYS SAY YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT A FIRE SEASON IS GOING TO BE UNTIL THE FIRE
SEASON IS OVER.
BUT WHAT I DO SAY IS THAT THIS YEAR IS SORT OF STAGE IS SET, THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL
OUT THERE.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: PHIL FILLMORE SAYS SAN DIEGO'S MAJOR WILD FIRES IN 2003 AND 2007
HAVE HELPED THEM PREPARE.
>> >>: WE'VE DEALT WITH THINGS LIKE THIS BEFORE.
>> >>SUSAN MURPHY: SUSAN MURPHY, KPBS NEWS.