MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – -- The red-flag warning issued for San Diego County March 12 was the sixth of this year’s issued warnings compiled by the National Weather Service, or NWS, and included the air station as an area of concern.

Miramar’s fire station tracks and monitors weather systems that warrant red-flag warnings (or the less immediate, fire weather watches) through their remote automated weather station and prepares for brush burns during such times.

Not to be confused with the military’s flag system for physical training conditions, a red-flag warning is issued by the NWS when critical fire weather conditions are occurring or may occur within the next 24 hours, according to Ed Clark, a San Diego area warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A fire weather watch is issued during a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and hot weather, which will create explosive fire growth potential, according to warning statements provided by the NWS.

In the dry areas of East Miramar, the station fire department takes great care in preventing uncontrollable fire that may result from such conditions by increased staffing, staying closer to the fire house during dangerous days and limiting training and pyrotechnics on base.

Welding or burning is restricted outside, and military training is monitored to prevent magnification of dangerous conditions, according to Paul J. Tompkins, station fire captain and wild land program manager.

The fire department also readies specially equipped fire-fighting engines, the Type 3 “brush trucks.”

With shorter wheel bases, the trucks are easily maneuvered through brush-fire terrain. Smaller hose diameters lessen the burden for firefighters carrying hoses farther from their trucks, up hills and around vegetation.

The fire station’s prescribed burns rid terrain of vegetation that may perpetuate a brush fire and cause damage or death.

“Each year, we do a prescribed burn at the rifle range to eliminate the fuel available during a brush fire,” said Tompkins. Because the rifle range is essential to Marines’ military training, the fire department tries to keep it operational as often as possible, usually requiring a fire extinguisher readily available or parking an engine nearby in case of an accident during red flag warning times.

“In recent days, it’s been unseasonably hot. That increases the fire danger,” said Tomkins.

Records show that past years’ fires have recently increased in severity, according to Clark, who suggested that this year’s fire season may come around sooner than most residents originally expected.

Fire season usually begins during May or June of each year, but due to the recurrent dry heat of this year, it may be proclaimed earlier. This year’s fire season has not officially been declared, though there has been one significantly large fire this year in Orange County, Calif.

During the California fires of 2003, advancing flames strongly impacted MCAS Miramar. All station Marines and sailors were recalled and accounted for before readying for complete evacuation of the station.

For Sgt. Maj. Dennis W. Reed, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing sergeant major in 2003, the biggest concern was the safety and well-being of the military members and their families who lived in the city.

“Would we be able to notify everyone in time to evacuate when required, particularly those who lived off base?” Reed asked his command and himself. “Would we be able to ensure they had safe routes through the fires and safe locations for the families to go to? Would we be able to account for everyone to ensure they got whatever help they might require if they had to evacuate; such as medical care, food, clothing and money?”

The immediate danger presented by the flames isn’t the only concern raised by brush fires. Well after the risk to human life and threat of property damage has passed, the after effects of brush fires continue to impact the community.

“When the vegetation in an area is depleted due to burning, the root systems and shrubbery cannot maintain the structure of the soil,” Clark said.

This can  lead to dramatic and dangerous runoff that floods roads, destroys property and endangers lives. This can become just as dangerous as the fires themselves
especially during the rainy season.

When the commotion wore down, many Marines had been personally effected by the fires, not only losing valuables and property, but disrupting their family lives as well.

“The fires were wide spread and moving rapidly. Many communities were ordered to evacuate on very short notice,” said Reed. “A number of our Marines and sailors lost their homes and all they owned in the fires. They needed help in getting a place to live and to replace what they lost. Our concern at this point was making sure they got what they needed.”

Remains of the 2003 fires still exist in East Miramar, where charred grasses remind Marines of the unpredictable dangers of brush fires.

For a look at the station’s weather system visit www.weather.gov under the fire weather and San Diego links.