Cloudy with occasional rain in the afternoon. High 59F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..
Showers and thundershowers in the evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 51F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Updated: February 10, 2026 @ 3:10 am
Editor,
In addition to unseasonably warm weather (Page 3, Feb. 10), California is in the midst of a megadrought, the worst in 1,200 years according to a new study published by the journal Nature Climate Change. The state is, thus, likely to have yet another horrific wildfire season.
We cannot afford complacency in the precious months that remain before the conflagrations begin and, for starters, we must discard the notion that “fuel reduction” projects underway in our forests are going to provide us protection from wildfires. These projects are little more than government-subsidized logging, paid for by tax dollars and a gift to the politically powerful timber industry. We aren’t going to log our way out of our wildfire mess and knowledgeable, independently-funded forest ecologists make a strong case that current common logging practices, like clear-cutting, actually increase the severity of wildfires.
To safeguard property and save lives, we must instead ramp up risk reduction measures in high-risk fire zones. Homes and structures must be hardened and 100-foot defensible spaces created around them. People need education about emergency preparedness kits and escape plans. Community Wildfire Protection Plans and simulations for various types of fire must be developed, evacuation routes optimized, and necessary fire-fighting equipment purchased.
We must also insist that Gov. Newsom and state legislators step it up. These measures are costly and, to expedite them, adequate funding is urgently needed. There is no time to waste as we wait for California to, once again, go up in smoke.
Jennifer Normoyle
Hillsborough
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