Hot weather spells busy season for Tulare County firefighters

TULARE, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's show time for four Tulare County firefighters.

They're on their way to a fast moving wildfire in San Diego County, near the Mexican border. Tulare County Fire Lt. Bryan Duffy doesn't know exactly what to expect, but is fully aware it will be hot.

"Fire behavior conditions increase with the hotter weather," Duffy said.

The extreme heat can make a large fire hard to control.

And all the while, Duffy and fellow firefighters will have to keep their own safety in mind. But so will the firefighters that are staying behind.

Fire captain Joe Rosa says recently, crews have been responding to 10 to 15 fires a day in Tulare County.

They're also dealing with triple digit temperatures this week.

"So crews are constantly running, they're constantly going from call to call and it's that time of the year--things are getting hotter," Rosa said.

Rosa says while there was rain this winter, it wasn't enough to make a dent in the drought. He says the rains just made things grow.

"It's just more fuels, the higher the temperatures, the lower the (humidity), the fuels are drying out quicker and earlier this year than they have in the years past, which is creating a little more volatile fire conditions," Rosa said.

Southern California received even less rain, so the conditions there are even wilder.

That explains why they could use the help fighting the new fires that have broken out.

Fire officials remind residents to mow your lawn before 10 a.m. Also, if you're pulling a trailer, they say make sure the chains aren't dragging on the ground.