THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS IS OMINOUS for firefighters in San Diego County.  With still plenty more dead brush and dry lands, the forecast calls for a large increase in winds and low humidity this week.  All FD’s are taking immediate standby measures.

The San Diego Union reports:

Three strike teams, each with five fire engines, are being pre-positioned around San Diego County – one in North County, one in South County and one in between, starting Tuesday, said Chief Rick Henson of Cal Fire.

Also, Cal Fire is calling in eight additional hand crews of 15 firefighters each, for a total of 27, Henson said. The number of bulldozers available next week is being doubled from four to eight. 

Additionally, the number of Cal Fire helicopters also is being doubled to four, and five air tankers are being added to the normal complement of two. 

Aside from the forces being marshalled in San Diego County, the state is staging still more fire units in neighboring Riverside County, Henson said – 260 engines, 70 hand crews, 29 bulldozers, 11 air tankers and two fire management teams.  

Meanwhile, San Diego city firefighters are preparing to report for duty at any moment – without having to report to their firehouse, said Fire Chief Tracy Jarman.

“All San Diego firefighters are taking their personal protective gear home with them, starting tomorrow,” she said.

If the winds arrive, they’ll start up on Tuesday with Wednesday being the strongest.  Forecasters thought this week that San Diego County’s mountains and passes might see gusts up to 65 mph on Wednesday, with winds continuing into Thanksgiving.  But National Weather Service meteorologist Brandt Maxwell said the latest forecast shows that winds should be nothing like the howling gusts that drove last month’s wildfires.   But now they think that they won’t go over 40 mph.

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