Next week is expected to put a strain on public safety resources in Manteca as well as throughout California.

*Monday starts an expected streak of 12 consecutive days with triple-digit highs in Manteca, Ripon, and Lathrop.

*The National Weather Service has issued a critical fire warning for Monday and Tuesday when highs of 103 and 108 will be combined with winds of 10 to 20 mph, gusts up to 30 mph, minimum daytime humidity between 5 and 15 percent and overnight humidity between 20 and 40 percent.

*The good news for Wednesday, July 3, is the winds will die down. The bad news is the high could reach 111 degrees because the winds ease up.

*It may cool off to 106 degrees on Thursday and then, for the next seven days, the National Weather Service indicates there is the chance the highs from July 6 through July 12 will be 105, 108, 107, 101, 100, 100, 100, and 103 degrees.

*Dry and thick weed growth enhances dangers poised by illegal fireworks as well as the improper use of legal fireworks.

Traditionally, the Fourth of July can be the busiest day of the year for both Manteca Fire and Manteca Police.

Fire Chief Dave Marques said a sixth fire engine will be staffed on Thursday, July 4, with three firefighters using overtime.

That is in addition to the five engine companies already will be working.

Marques said it isn’t unusual for fire engine companies to go non-stop on the Fourth of July. At the same time, excessive heat bumps up 9-1-1 calls as well.

“Not saying it will happen, but (based on past July 4 holidays) people calling 9-1-1 may experience a slower response time.

The high winds and low humidity expected for Monday and Tuesday adds to the mix.

“It could get very bad,” Marques said.

The fire chief is referring to wildfires as well that have hit the Central Valley and foothills hard,  heavy and  earlier this year thanks to the thick vegetation growth due to the wet spring.

There won’t be much of an escape from the heat heading into the Sierra.

The high Friday in Yosemite Valley is expected to reach 95 degrees. At Dardanelle on Highway 108 at 5,774 feet in Tuolumne County  the high Friday may hit 86 degrees.

Manteca going after

Illegal fireworks

The number and size of intense fires this early in the fire season is helping underscore Manteca’s effort to clamp down on illegal fireworks.

The effort this year includes:

*A stepped up penalty of $1,000 per offense.

*Multiple drones to make deployed manpower more effective at being able to cite offenders.

*Adding the GOManteca app, in addition to the Nail’Em app, for citizens to transmit illegal fireworks issues to city law enforcement.

Enforcement will start in the coming days and continue through the Fourth of July.

Two fire inspectors, the police, and the fire marshal will patrol and use drones to enforce the city’s illegal fireworks municipal codes.

The city added an additional tool this year to help residents enforce the illegal fireworks ordinance, the GOManteca app. The app is available for iPhone and Android platforms, in a similar fashion to the Nail’Em app, the app directly provides enforcement information regarding the violation.

Residents can use the GOManteca or Nail ‘Em apps to forward illegal fireworks information it to the police or fire department. The big difference, however, is citizens would have to go on record as to what they observed — just like a police officer — to make the citation and administrative charges stick.

Given the number of incidents going on some nights, the police may not be able to make it in time to the location to record the illegal activity.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com