It isn’t too early to start taking precautions to prevent brush fires.

Mountain View Fire and Rescue/Fire District 44 was called upon May 4 to extinguish a large brush fire – its first of the season, and a sure sign that the weather is getting warmer, drier and more fire-prone, officials said.

The first on Green Valley Road was started when weeds were being burned. A large bush that caught fire near a house was about one foot away from a propane tank, officials reported.

“Please use gardening tools with caution” is advice for everyone, especially when they can spark a fire or cause injuries, said Tim Perciful, a spokesman for Mountain View Fire and Rescue. “Fires can spread quickly especially with warm temperatures, lower humidity and wind.”

According to the state Department of Natural Resources, nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by people – by children playing with fire a third of the time.

The state fire marshal reports that natural-vegetation blazes were the second-leading fire category as recent as 2006. There were 7,482 such fires that, accounting for more than $1.2 million in losses.