Fire season is over

Areas closed to public since May reopen today; fire officials still wary of possible Santa Ana winds, recent warm weather.Fire season in Newport-Mesa officially comes to an end today, and areas closed to public access since May are scheduled to reopen.

Although fire officials have determined that high-risk areas have received enough rain to reduce the fire danger, firefighters aren’t yet breathing a sigh of relief. The season may be officially over, but recent warm weather means that Newport-Mesa could still get burned.

“You still need to keep a level of awareness up because weather can change,” said Costa Mesa Battalion Chief Chris Riley. “Never let your guard down.”

Following rainstorms such as last weekend’s, fresh brush sprouts up; when warm temperatures arrive, the brush dries out and creates a new fire danger, said Newport Beach Fire Marshal Steve Bunting.

“When you get a little bit of rain and then the heat, it tends to make things a little bit worse,” Bunting said.

A Santa Ana wind condition is still possible, and the fire danger continues, Bunting said. The National Weather Service forecasts that temperatures in Newport-Mesa will cool down over the weekend.

The fire department encourages people not to smoke in any of the fire danger areas that reopened today, Bunting said.

The dates of opening and closing the season vary from year to year, depending on the amount of moisture. This year in Newport-Mesa, the fire season began at the end of May, said Newport Beach Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz.

The areas closed during fire season -- primarily public access trails in Newport Coast and Crystal Cove State Park -- are usually the same every year.

“We want to do everything we can to eliminate the potential for fire; one of those things is keeping the people out,” Bunting said.

The fire season passed without any major brush fires, officials said. Although fires didn’t pose an immediate threat to Newport-Mesa, it still wasn’t a quiet season for local firefighters. In the fall, both Newport Beach and Costa Mesa sent firefighters with a five-engine team to assist with several fires in Los Angeles County.