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marsh and becoming the first large fire of the season. The federal Climate Prediction Center reported elevated chances of above-nor- mal temperatures throughout the West during the next three months, with dri- er-than-normal conditions most likely in Northern California. The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook predicts drought is likely to develop throughout Northern California by June 30.
“I would say within fire circles, we’re all bracing for a long, busy fire season,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, director of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network. Even though there has been spring rain, Quinn-Davidson said the absence of a snowpack means the fire season will start much earlier because “rain doesn’t do as much to slow fire season as a snow- pack would.”
“In fact, late rains can increase the veg- etation available to burn when things dry out,” she added. Sierra Valley rancher Rick Roberti lost his U.S. Bureau of Land Management allot- ment in the 2021 Dixie Fire and saw some neighboring properties burn. He said con- ditions at the beginning of April this year were as dry as they normally would be at the start of May. “I think everyone’s a little nervous,” he said. “So much has burned around us that there’s not a lot left to burn, … but that’s not saying it couldn’t burn again.” Even in the middle of California’s rainy season, Roberti noted a fire broke out last month in the forest of the Warner Moun- tains in Modoc County. Groups such as the California Cattle- men’s Association are urging ranchers to prepare by making sure they’ve gone through the Livestock Pass training and are current pass holders. The Livestock Pass program enables trained commer- cial producers to enter their properties during disasters to care for or evacuate their animals. Ranchers should also be aware of what is needed to be eligible for federal disaster assistance programs. Mariposa County rancher Tony Toso helped advocate for the state Livestock Pass program after the Detwiler Fire broke out near his ranch in 2017. He said he was unnerved in mid-March by seeing a small fire break out near his BLM site before firefighters had it under control within a couple of hours. “It kind of stung me seeing the smoke,” Toso said, adding that he and other ranch- ers are expecting a warm summer. “We’re going to be preparing for what could be … a fire season we’re going to have to reckon with,” he said. One tool gaining popularity among ranchers is virtual fencing, with which GPS-collared livestock are kept within cer- tain areas without physical barriers. Toso has been using it to manage grazing on his own property, and he said he plans to use it on his BLM allotment this summer. Toso said he plans to have his cattle eat down vegetation around his home and barns for about a month before taking them to their summer grazing allotment in June. Using his cattle for managed graz- ing on public lands is “kind of a pilot for us,” he noted. “I know everyone’s doing it,” Toso said. “We’re trying to do our part.” For Laurie Noble, public education about wildfire prevention is a key point. During a local fire safe council meeting recently, she noted that July 4 will fall on a Saturday this year, enticing large crowds to celebrate a three-day weekend on pub- lic lands. “I think we need to be extra serious about anybody taking fireworks into the mountains,” she said. “It’s bad enough they take them into the valley. I think we need to talk about it and get out in public with it.” Tim Hearden is a reporter in Redding. He can be reached at agalert@cfbf.com.
April outlook. Record heat in many areas in mid- March melted most of the snowpack and led to increased dead fuel flammability as the month progressed, the center ob- served. The daily fire ignition average in Northern California in March was nearly double the average for the month since 2008, with the largest wildfire growing to 164 acres northeast of McArthur in a Tule
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8 Ag Alert May 6, 2026
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