Sierra Sun: What Truckee’s fire season could bring this year
By Petra Molina | pmolina@sierrasun.com
TRUCKEE, Calif. — Under unseasonably high, record-breaking March temperatures, it’s hard to ignore how early the heat has arrived — or what it could mean for the wildfire season ahead.
“I think we are setting up for a long fire season,” Truckee Fire Protection District Fire Chief Kevin McKechnie said.
After a winter that delivered several bursts of precipitation, McKechnie said the moisture helped spur vegetation growth across the region — from grasses to shrubs and trees. Now, with temperatures climbing well above seasonal norms, he expects those fuels to dry out earlier than usual — especially the lighter, more flammable vegetation that often drives the start of fire season.
“Because it’s warm early, those fuels are going to dry out, and I would expect an early start to the fire season,” said McKechnie.
On the south end of the lake, South Lake Tahoe set a new record on March 18, reaching 76°F at 2:42 p.m. — the warmest March temperature ever recorded for the location. The previous daily record was 71°F, set on March 30, 2015. This also marks the earliest date South Lake Tahoe has ever reached 76°F.
An earlier start to warmer months, McKechnie said, might mean a longer, more demanding season overall — one that begins well before peak summer months.
“All the more reason to get prepared,” McKechnie said. “I know here at the fire department, we are prepared, but it’s a call to action for everybody.”
Locally, wildfire prevention efforts have expanded in recent years. Through Measure T — a voter-approved wildfire prevention parcel tax passed in 2021 — the district generates about $3.7 million annually for mitigation work.
Those funds support defensible space programs, home hardening, public education and outreach, and improvements to evacuation routes.
A shifting fire landscape
McKechnie, who has more than 25 years in the fire service, said wildfire behavior has changed dramatically over the course of his career — not just in California, but across the country.
“I started as a volunteer in 2001, and back then the fire season was primarily in the summertime,” he said. “Now, at a national and statewide level, we are seeing it year-round.”
That shift is reflected in fires occurring in places and seasons that historically saw little wildfire activity. He pointed to fast-moving, wind-driven fires in states like Nebraska and Texas, some of which have occurred during winter months under extreme fire weather conditions.
“Those kinds of conditions popping up in the winter months — that’s surprising,” he said.
Closer to home, California has seen increasingly large and destructive wildfires in recent years. McKechnie noted how the scale of today’s fires far exceeds what was once considered significant.
Reflecting on his early career, he recalled responding to the Martis Fire, which burned about 15,000 acres near Truckee.
“That was a really big fire for us,” he said.
Today, fires of that size are far less unusual. California has since seen significantly larger wildfires, including the Caldor Fire, which burned more than 221,000 acres across El Dorado, Alpine and Amador counties, as well as the Dixie Fire and the Camp Fire.
“Fifteen thousand acres is small compared to the fires we see now,” McKechnie said.
With record warmth arriving earlier in the year, fire officials say the window for preparation is also shifting — making the coming weeks a critical time for residents to take action before wildfire conditions intensify.