Avoid the rivers. That’s the simple message from Escalon Fire Chief Rick Mello and many of his colleagues in the fire and rescue service, as water levels are extremely high, water temperatures are extremely cold and the current is flowing faster than most people expect. “It is crazy out there,” Mello said on Tuesday, noting a large rescue operation by members of the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District crews over the weekend on the Stanislaus River along Orange Blossom.