Here's how you can tell CAL FIRE truly believes fire season is winding down:
Berlant: "We will start now laying
off some of the seasonal firefighters - especially now up in more
the rural areas that are now receiving a lot of rain - or in some
cases, some snow."
That's CAL FIRE's Daniel Berlant, who says this year brought a significant increase in fire activity - 1,400 fires more than last year, destroying a much larger area.
Berlant: "Over 130,000 acres have
burned, compared to 55,000 that burned last year. So it's
been a much busier year for us."
And an expensive one, too: more than $60 million over budget. Berlant says the fire danger in Northern California has eased, but Southern Californians shouldn't relax yet. There hasn't been as much rainfall in the south, and the Santa Ana winds could keep conditions dry.
