OCEANSIDE - Officials are warning residents to be cautious as wildfires become more prevalent in San Diego County and the rest of Southern California during the hot, dry summer months.
Chief David Parsons of the Oceanside Fire Department tells NBC 7 after three years of drought, the landscape has changed and wildfires will likely be more intense.
"The behavior is much stronger, faster, more embers, things like that," said Chief Parsons. "Being in a three to four-year drought, fuels are very receptive."
Chief Parsons says folks need to be careful and when doing outdoor activities like mowing grass and riding off-road vehicles in grassy areas, which could spark a fire. While San Diego County's fire season is year-round, fire officials say the summer months is when the fire danger really heats up.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, about 60 percent of California is in extreme draught.
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