It is shaping up to be a long, hot fire season.

*A two-acre dry grass fire Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. on the northwest corner of Atherton Drive and Union Road closed Union Road temporarily due to thick smoke dropping the visibility to zero.

*Monday’s dry grass fire in southwest Manteca was literally stopped in the backyards of 12 homes.

*Mantcea fire personnel have been dispatched to help contain four of the six major wildfires burning in California.

*Dry grass — such as vegetation on vacant parcels, alleys, around some homes, and in the rural part of California — is often as high as four feet and thick due to the wet spring weather.

“It is unusual to have these type of incidents this year in the fire season,” Manteca Fire Chief Dave Marques said of the wildland fires as well as the 10-acre dry grass fire in the southwest portion of the city on Monday.

Manteca currently has:

*a fire engine at the Aveo Fire in Calaveras County.
*a captain at the Post Fire in Southern California.

*a captain at the Point Fire in Sonoma County.

*a firefighter assisting the California Air National Guard effort.

The cost of the manpower dispatched to the fires is ultimately reimbursed by the state.

And by working with the state, Manteca and other jurisdictions can tap into numerous resources when needed to protect their communities.

Two months ago, as an example, Manteca took delivery of a Type 3 fire truck that is designed to go off road and to more effectively reach vegetation fires.

In exchange, the Manteca Fire Department agreed to dispatch the engine with a crew when it is needed to fight wildland fires such as the one in Calaveras County.

 The advantage for Manteca is that it has provided the city with a second Type 3 fire engine.

Coupled with one the city purchased just over five years ago, the city has the ability to more effectively and quickly to tackle grass fires when they occur.

On red flag days—  when low humidity, high temperatures, and strong winds combine to create a sustainably elevated fire danger risk —  Manteca staffs a Type 3 engine with firefighters called back in to work in addition to the five fire engine companies.

It allows the fire department to tackle upticks in grass fire calls that occur to help contain them quicker in a bid to stop them from burning homes and other structures.

Marques noted the initial fire engine on Monday was able to arrive quickly on scene thanks to the McKinley Avenue interchange on the 120 Bypass being opened.

As such, the battalion chief was able to quickly access the situation as they pulled up allowing the multiagency response that Marques said brought more than 20 fire engines to the fire.

“We literally stopped the fire in the backyards of the homes,” Marques said.

Had the initial response been delayed a few minutes given the windy conditions and dry grass, it would have changed the dynamics of the fire in manner that would have then threatened more homes.

The fire department is now issuing citations to people who have not abated weeds.

Rules for weed control can be found in Municipal Code Chapter 8.16 and are available for viewing on the city’s website at www.ci.manteca.ca.us.

If you have questions about the weed abatement program or would like to report a property that is not being maintained, call the Fire Prevention Bureau at (209) 456-8340.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com