As summer is approaching, and we at Pameno are well underway in tornado season and nearing hurricane season, it's important to remind everyone of another seasonal worry that may not receive the same attention and coverage. That of course, is wildfires. Just last week, 800 acres in western Riverside County, California went up in flames, all from an accident caused my mowing and brush cleaning, ostensibly to remove dry brush and fire risks. California and much of the west will continue to see these fires, as long as the humidity stays lows and the winds blow.

While state and federal firefighters continue to expand their arsenal of high technology, from water dropping helicopters to chemical retardant on the edge of the fire line, one California congressman is arguing for what would seem like an easy sell: lifting bans of firefighting aircraft at night time.

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Representative Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) has been critical of the slow response to last year's Angeles National Forest fire that affected many of his constituents near the San Gabriel Mountains, not just from the fire itself, but from the resulting mudslides which came later with winter rain.

Schiff is leading a panel of Southern California House members Wednesday in Washington, D.C. and will hear testimony from many firefighting experts from the Forest Service, both active and retired. Manyfire experts have been critical of the way the fire was handled, and believe that the fire could have been contained much earlier on had night flights been permitted.

Forest Service officials say they welcome the hearings. "We've got nothing to hide," Angeles Forest Supervisor Jody Noiron told the Los Angeles Times.

While high on the agenda is Schiff's interest in seeing the nighttime flight ban lifted, many retirees planning to attend say that the forum will allow them to voice their  criticism of the decisions made by the Forest Service in fighting last year's catastrophic fire. Former firefighter Troy Kurth believes Congressional inquiry may help reform a Forest Service that he believes has been hobbled by an attrition of experienced fire experts and an influx of bureaucrats.

"This is the most highly protected watershed anywhere, certainly in the United States," Kruth said of last year's blaze to the Times. "What were the factors that led to this fire's escape? I just can't come to the same conclusions as the Forest Service did."

Do you live in a wildfire prone area? Are you prepared? Read Alex Molina's great primer, Preparing For Wildfires.