Vegetation in the Ventura area is already drying out, raising the risk of early-season grass fires, county fire officials said.
Brown patches have popped up on once-green hillsides as rainfall sits at 20-30% of normal and moderate drought conditions persist countywide. Some rain still could fall in April or even May, but Southern California is running out of chances. People should be prepared for an earlier start of our fire season, said county fire Capt. Kenneth VanWig.
The fire department collects samples every two weeks from stands of brush in Malibu, Casitas, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Ojai to check moisture levels.
Ventura County on track to record one of its driest seasons
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Storm drops rain, hail and snow on Ventura County, wet weather expected to persist
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