By Dave Boyce
The Almanac
WOODSIDE, Calif. — In fighting wildland or structural fires, it’s hard to overstate the value of water to firefighters. The drought, of course, is making water more precious than ever, but firefighters say they fight fires in 2014 as they were trained to: using only as much water as necessary.
Firefighters have felt the drought’s effect when they’re not fighting fires. Training exercises are now using less water, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Woodside and Menlo Park fire protection districts. Water use is also down at fire stations.
At Station 8 at 135 Portola Road in Portola Valley, the Woodside fire district recently replaced its grass front lawn with mostly native drought-tolerant and fire-resistant plants. The project budget ranged from $20,000 to $35,000, Battalion Chief Jerry Nave told the Almanac.
Full story: Firefighters, too, seek to reduce water use due to drought