NEWS RELEASE Live fuel moisture (LFM) is important for assessing fire danger. LFM is defined as the percentage of water content to dry matter content in live vegetation. The direct measurement of LFM is done by collecting fresh field samples of Chamise, drying them until all moisture is evaporated, and calculating the water content difference between fresh and dry samples. Chamise is one of the most common shrub species found in southern California chaparral communities. Chamise is evergreen, but it is sensitive to seasonal drought. During southern California’s long dry season, Chamise leaf moisture content drops as soil water availability declines. In extreme conditions, rapid dry down can happen in days, for example during Santa Ana winds affecting southern California. Field-sampled LFM are gathered at five locations throughout Santa Barbara County. They include Tepesquet, Harris Grade, Cachuma, Refugio and W. Gaviota. Current Santa Barbara County average live fuel moisture level is at 64%. Sixty percent is considered critical. Declining live fuel moisture may reach a threshold that increases susceptibility to large wildfires. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department urges people to use caution in the coming months. Contact Information: Captain David Sadecki Information Officer Office 805.681-5531 Cell 805.689-0599 News Line 805.681-5546 Email david.sadecki@sbcfire Twitter @SBCFireInfo All Santa Barbara County Fire Department News Releases are available at sbcfire ###
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 20:28:37 +0000
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