Cal Fire Prepares for Peak Fire Season Amid Dry Conditions

San Diego County faces heightened fire risk as Cal Fire boosts staffing and resources ahead of late summer fire season.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 9:10pm

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Cal Fire is gearing up for peak fire season in San Diego County, bringing on additional firefighters and new aircraft as the region faces a particularly dry and hot spell. Crews are working on fuel breaks and prescribed burns to mitigate the fire danger, which has been exacerbated by below-average rainfall so far this year.

Why it matters

With climate change driving more extreme weather, California's fire seasons have become longer and more severe in recent years. San Diego County's dry conditions and flammable vegetation make it especially vulnerable, underscoring the importance of Cal Fire's proactive prevention efforts.

The details

Cal Fire Captain Mike Cornette says the entire county is at fire risk and the agency will be moving to peak staffing levels within the next month. This will include bringing on around 1,000 additional firefighters to be spread across 42 fire stations, three fire centers, and two air bases. Cal Fire is also adding new aircraft, including a C-130 air tanker and an S-70 helicopter, to bolster its firefighting capabilities.

  • Cal Fire will be bringing on around 1,000 additional firefighters within the next month.
  • The new C-130 air tanker and S-70 helicopter are expected to arrive in San Diego in the next few months.
  • San Diego's peak fire season typically occurs during the late summer months heading into the fall.

The players

Cal Fire

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the state's fire department responsible for fire protection and stewardship of over 31 million acres of California's privately-owned wildlands.

Mike Cornette

A captain with Cal Fire's San Diego unit, responsible for overseeing the agency's fire prevention and response efforts in the county.

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What they’re saying

“I would say the entire county is in fire danger. We will move in to peak staffing here within a few weeks to a month or so.”

— Mike Cornette, Cal Fire Captain

“There's a lot of exciting things that're going to happen in San Diego this fire season with the addition of our C-130 air tanker and the S-70 helicopter that're going to be at Ramona. We're expecting those here within the next few months.”

— Mike Cornette, Cal Fire Captain

What’s next

Cal Fire will be conducting prescribed burns across parts of San Diego County in the coming months as part of its fire prevention efforts ahead of the peak fire season.

The takeaway

With climate change driving more extreme weather, California's fire seasons have become longer and more severe. San Diego County's dry conditions and flammable vegetation make it especially vulnerable, underscoring the importance of Cal Fire's proactive prevention efforts to protect the community.