The Mountain Fire that erupted in Ventura County, California last week has scorched 20,630 acres and destroyed more than 200 structures. The fire was caused by very heavy east winds of 50 to 60 miles per hour with gusts to 80 miles/hour. It is expected to have caused more than $6 million in damage to agriculture property, including 500 acres of avocado farmland. These numbers are expected to go up once official estimates become available.
Avocados
"I don't have any hard facts, but I live about five miles from the fire," says David Holden with Holden Research and Consulting. "From my personal observation, I expect a lot of damage to avocado orchards as a considerable amount of trees has burnt." While the trees themselves don't burn, the mulch on the ground does. The heat cooks the trunks of the trees and kills them." In addition, the strong winds caused many avocados to fall of the trees. This is fruit that would have been harvested in spring of next year. "While there is no official estimate available yet, I am seeing a fruit loss of about 15-20 percent in my own small avocado orchard."
Comparing small (3-4 ounces) fruit that fell off the trees to normal sized 7-9 ounce fruit that is ready for market. The small fruit would have been harvested between late winter and mid summer.
Strong winds caused avocados to fall off the trees.
Citrus
Ventura County is also a rich citrus growing region with lemons being the predominant commodity. Lemons make up 17,500 acres out of the total of 22,000 acres of citrus in the county. How much of the 17,500 acres fall within this fire's footprint is still being determined, but citrus growers are on watch. "The fires are still not 100 percent contained so it's a continuing concern," says California Citrus Mutual president and CEO Casey Creamer.
The good news is that citrus is generally not a commodity susceptible to fire. "It's an evergreen and its characteristics are a bit more fire resistant. There are exceptions to that–the intensity of the fire, the location, etc. However we're hearing that there's not a significant amount of damage in citrus," says Creamer, adding that visually, exterior rows of citrus blocks might show some leaf damage, but getting further into the block might look better. After all, he notes that in a previous fire affecting Ojai, citrus trees around the city helped protect it from the fire and the further spread of that fire.
The overall impact of the Mountain Fire on the California lemon market is expected to be limited. While Ventura County has 17,500 acres of lemons according to the last report, statewide there are 50,000 acres. "If there is an impact, it's not likely to be a huge industry-wide disruptor. However, it's a big deal for growers who are directly impacted."
History of fire in Ventura County
The region does have experience in dealing with fires–notably, the Thomas Fire in 2017 and the Maria Fire two years later. "The area knows how to deal with procedures, and take the proper steps for safety because this isn't the first time they've been through this. Ventura County is very collaborative and knows how to solve problems," adds Creamer.
The true impact of these fires on avocados and citrus will take time to determine. "We did hear that when the winds came through, these fires were rapid, so the effects will depend on where the orchards are located."
Growers will also be assessing other impacts of the fire, such as the availability of water and power. "There are concerns about erosion as well. After these fires, often you get a lot of rain. The soil has been top-burned and it leads to excessive erosion so that could be an issue moving forward."
For more information:
David Holden
Holden Research and Consulting
[email protected]
Abby Peltzer
California Citrus Mutual
Tel: +1 (559) 592.3790
[email protected]
https://www.cacitrusmutual.com/