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Cal Fire gears up for peak wildfire season in Bay Area
Cal Fire will be using an arsenal of high-tech tools, to help track and stay ahead of fires, especially in September and October.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. - Ready or not, peak fire season has arrived in the Bay Area.
In Lake County on Saturday, Cal Fire crews said they have the Peter and Scott fires more than two-thirds contained, after burning nearly 70 combined acres.
But in Napa County, the Pickett fire remains a thorn in firefighters' side. It's still just half-contained, after burning 7,000 acres.
"We are approaching critical moisture levels and when we get to those areas, that's when you can really see a lot of extreme fire growth and erratic fire behavior," said Cal Fire Public Information Officer Jason Clay.
But as that seasonal challenge approaches, Cal Fire says it has a growing arsenal of technologies to fight back.
The newly-debuted "Intel Plane" can map fires from above with 3D precision, as well as identify heat sources and homes that may be in the way.
Also on the cutting edge in the fire zone is Cal Fire's 'Unmanned Aerial System," or UAS. These drones provide critical fire data during the nighttime hours.
Meanwhile, local departments like Berkeley Fire, are already making plans to make sure crews are strategically placed in fire-prone areas.
The Source: Interviews by KTVU reporter John Krinjak