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LEARNING FROM CALIFORNIA’S LONG HISTORY OF WILDFIRES Part 1: Let’s Look at 2006. Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA. CALIFORNIA IS ONE OF PLANET EARTH’S MOST ACTIVE “WILDFIRE LABORATORIES”.
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LEARNING FROM CALIFORNIA’S LONG HISTORY OF WILDFIRESPart 1: Let’s Look at 2006 Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA
CALIFORNIA IS ONE OF PLANET EARTH’S MOST ACTIVE “WILDFIRE LABORATORIES” EACH WILDFIRE PROVIDES VALUABLE LESSONS FOR THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY
Natural Phenomena that Cause Disasters Planet Earth’s atmospheric-lithospheric interactions cause: • WILDFIRES • Wildfires
WILDFIRES are conflagrations caused by lightning discharges (or acts of man) in wilderness areas close enough to one or more urban interfaces that they threaten people, property, infrastructure, and business enterprise.
THE WILDERNESS AREAS typically contain national forests, national parks, or resorts and the adjacent urban areas typically contain large, expensive homes.
WILDFIRE HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS) • FIRE • HOT GASES AND SMOKE • HOT SPOTS • BURNED OUT SLOPES (with increased susceptibility to insect infestation, erosion, and landslides)
WILDFIRE HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS) • SUNDOWNER WINDS • SANTA ANNA WINDS • LOCAL CHANGES IN AIR QUALITY • LOCAL CHANGES IN WEATHER
WILDFIRES CAN CAUSE HIGH-RISK SITUATIONS Any wildfire can be devastating to people, property, infrastructure, business enterprise, and the environment.
CAUSES OF DAMAGE LIGHTNING STRIKES MANMADE FIRES PROXIMITY OF URBAN AREA TO THE WILDLAND FIRE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION (DAY/NIGHT) WILDFIRES DRYNESS DISASTER LABORATORIES HIGH TEMPERATURES LOCAL FUEL SUPPLY
BEFORE JULY 13, 2006 • Southern California forests were weakened by drought during the prior decade and millions of trees were killed by bark beetles. • Although workers had been cutting down dead trees near communities and roads, the debris had not been removed, leaving fuel for wildfires.
BEFORE JULY 13, 2006 • The Sawtooth and Millard wildfires, were both ignited by lightning. • Over the period July 8-13, the Sawtooth fire grew into an inferno as it raced through the high-desert and threatened small communities.
JULY 14, 2006 • 2,700 firefighters aided by aircraft worked in fierce 100 degree heat on Friday to keep the giant wildfire from gaining a foothold in the heavily populated San Bernardino Mountains.
JULY 13, 2006 • California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County on Thursday, July 13th.
JULY 13, 2006 • This decision was prompted by observations from firefighters fighting a massive 53,000 acre wildfire in the Sawtooth Complex on the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest that the blaze could merge with another 8,300 acre wildfire burning in the Millard Complex about 3 km (2 miles) away.
MORONGO VALLEY: JULY 14, 2006 • Dozens of homes in the Morongo Valley were ordered to evacuate as flames moved to within a few miles. • But, some residents stayed behind, loading possessions in their cars, monitoring the shifting wind, and waiting as long as possible.
JULY 16, 2006; A DIRE FORECAST FOR THE FUTURE • The unforgiving dry desert heat, rugged terrain, acres of dead trees, thunderstorms, erratic winds, and dry lightning will continue to challenge California firefighters EVERY year.
THIS DIRE FORECAST CALLED FOR A GLOBAL IMPROVEMENT IN RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH WILDFIRES
PURPOSE CONTROL THE FIRE CONTROL THE FUEL SUPPLY TECHNIQUE ENGAGE THE FIRE ON THE GROUND AND IN THE AIR FIRE RESISTANT VEGETATION; ELEMINATE DEAD TREES & DEBRIS DISASTER RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES FOR WILDFIRES
PURPOSE FIRE SUPRESSION WARNING & EVACUATION TECHNIQUE PLANES AND HELICOPTERS WITH CHEMICAL RETARDANTS AND WATER COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES FOR WILDFIRES
SUPRESSION: DO IT BEFORE SANTA ANNA AND SUNDOWNER WINDS ACT TO EXACERBATE
PURPOSE PROTECTION IDENTIFICATION; WARNING TECHNIQUE FIRE RETARDANT CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS REMOTE SENSING; COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES DISASTER RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES FOR WILDFIRES
PURPOSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS WIN THE FIGHT TECHNIQUE PRE- AND POST -WILDFIRE ASSESSMENTS ADD INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RESOURCES DISASTER RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES FOR WILDFIRES
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: MOUNT PARNITHIA NATIONAL PARK, GREECE: JULY 19, 2007
FORECASTS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES (E.G., REMOTE SENSING, TEMPER-ATURE, HUMIDITY, WINDS) WARNING SYSTEMS DATABASES FOR EACH WILDFIRE COMPUTER MODELS OF WILDFIRES MAPS; ZONING DISASTER SCENARIOS HAZARD ASSESSMENTS RISK ASSESSMENTS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR WILDFIRES
