Santa Cruz County is in for a grim fire season.
That was the assessment of Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit Chief Nate Armstrong, who gave a presentation to the county Board of Supervisors on preparedness for peak fire season that detailed current forest conditions, new equipment, staffing and evacuation routes in the county.
Armstrong said the period between January and March was the driest it has been in the past 100 years, priming dangerous conditions on the ground. He said the long-term drought conditions have made things worse.
"We're seeing a drastic increase in dry fuel," Armstrong said.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Integrated Drought Information System, there has been a decrease of 16.34 inches of rainfall this year compared to normal levels in Santa Cruz County.