GETTING FIRED UP FOR DRY SEASON VENTURA COUNTY SET FOR DRY SEASON.

Byline: Paul O'Donoghue Staff Writer

CAMARILLO - With the official start of fire season Tuesday, the Ventura County Fire Department hauled out its gear - from helicopters to new night vision monoculars - to demonstrate they're ready for emergencies.

The National Weather Service said the county has had about 89 percent of normal precipitation for the year, after receiving about 13 inches of rain, at the start of the dry season.

``We're running about 2 to 3 inches below normal for the county in general but we're about 2 to 3 inches ahead of (this time) last year,'' said NWS forecaster Gary Ryan.

``So while we're starting fire season now the most critical time is in about three to four months time,'' he said.

At the Fire Department's training ground in Camarillo, a helicopter dumped 340 gallons of water on flares in an exercise showing their precision. Firefighters demonstrated the use of their individual aluminum foil emergency shelters that are designed to temporarily withstand infernos of up 1200 degrees.

The center prepares the county's 488 employees, 441 of whom are uniformed personnel, for work at its 31 stations across the county.

``I think that overall we're in great shape,'' said Battalion Chief Rod Megli.

``We don't have a lot of concerns regarding the weather right now and our teams are ready to go,'' he said.

This year the department has bought nine special night vision monoculars, costing $900 each, that will be carried by crew leaders at fires. The purchase follows the death last year of a fire crew member in Los Angeles who fell off a cliff at night while fighting a fire.

Officials said the risk of brush fires depends a large extent on the weather, with drier weather creating drier vegetation.

Megli said most residents of hillside and rural areas in the county comply with the weed abatement program, which requires that brush within 100 feet of homes and sheds be cut to a few inches in height.

He said they have 97 percent compliance from the 23,000 notices sent out every year.

Ryan at the NWS said that as the summer continues, and there is no sizable rainfall, the risks of fire heat up.

``As we progress into the summer we will still have some moisture in the vegetation, but as the moisture dries out and during the Santa Ana winds in the fall, that's when you have the most dangerous and critical time for fires,'' he said.

Fire season officially runs through Nov. 15, but this past year it lasted until Jan. 15 because of unusually dry conditions.

Officials said that last fire season, despite lower rainfall than normal, was relatively quiet. One home was lost in Ojai's Ranch Fire, the county's biggest blaze, which scorched about 4,000 acres in December.

BE PREPARED

--Remove plant debris from roofs and gutters.

--Remove tree branches within 10 feet of chimneys.

--Install smoke detectors inside homes.

--Install fire extinguishers, especially for kitchens and garages.

--Install a home sprinkler system.

For more information, call [phone].!end

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo: (1 -- color) A Ventura County Fire Department helicopter demonstrates its water dropping ability Tuesday at the department's training facility in Camarillo.

(2 -- ran in Conejo edition only) Ventura County Firefighter Tyler Gilliam practices getting into a portable fire shelter, used if a brush fire gets too close, Tuesday during the department's demonstration.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

Box: Be Prepared (see text)