After a so-so winter and some late moisture, -things are greening up for the first full month of spring.
But all that brush and grass turning green and flowering now will begin to turn brown and become tinder dry over the next two months.
By the end of June, if things are dry, it will go from being a sign of new life to being kindling.
It's not a question of whether fire season will strike the Sierra, but when. This year maybe a little later, but more moisture means more fuel for the fires later, too.
Next week is officially Wildland Fire Awareness Week in Douglas County.
There have been years when there would already be a wildfire smoldering in the mountains when May started.
Residents living near the wilderness all over the county are cleaning up their property and helping.
Many of the residents are either members or are receiving the benefit from a fire safe council. Nearly a quarter of the councils in the state are located within the boundaries of Douglas County.
Each of these councils are putting together programs, educating their neighbors and taking action to make their homes safer in a wildland fire.
We've seen the damage a raging fire can do to life and property, and the best way to counteract it is to take action now.
