Forest Fire Information Updated April 2019

Home , Carr Fire, Mendocino Complex Fire, Woolsey Fire

NATIONAL IMPACT 2018: From January 1 to December 7, 2018, there were 52,743 wildfires, compared to 58,109 wildfires in the same period in 2017, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. About 8.5 million acres were burned in the 2018 period, compared with 9.2 million in 2017.

2017: From January 1 to December 22, 2017, there were 66,131 wildfires, compared to 65,575 wildfires in the same period in 2016, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. About 9.8 million acres were burned in the 2017 period, compared with 5.4 million in 2016. As of December 22, for the year so far, 2017 ranked higher in number of acres burned compared to the 10‐year average.

COST The US Forest Service spent more than $2.9 billion on national forest fire suppression in 2017, up from $1.9 billion in 2016. In 2016, 5,509,995 acres burned nationally due to wildfires compared to 10,026,086 in 2017.

According to Verisk’s 2017 Wildfire Risk Analysis 4.5 million U.S. homes were identified at high or extreme risk of wildfire, with more than 2 million in California alone. Losses from wildfires added up to $5.1 billion over the past 10 years.

CAUSATION As many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Some human‐caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava. Forest Fire Information Updated April 2019

CALIFORNIA IMPACT

Between July and December of 2018, an estimated 8,000 fires burned across California affecting more than 1.8 million acres of forestland. Five fires alone— Carr, Mendocino Complex, Camp, Hill, and Woolsey— combined to destroy more than 22,000 structures and kill more than 98 people. Losses and damages from these fires are estimated at more than $1 billion with more than $16 billion considered to be at very high risk for future damage pending action.

2018 CALIFORNIA TIMELINE:

In 2018 there were 58,083 wildfires, compared to 71,499 wildfires in 2017, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. About 8.8 million acres were burned in the 2018, compared with 10 million in 2017.

1. Mendocino Complex Fire: broke out on July 27 in Northern California and grew to be the largest fire in state history with 459,123 acres burned. 2. The Carr Fire, which broke out on July 23 in Northern California, is the 8th most destructive fire in the state’s history. Eight fatalities are attributed to the fire, and 1,614 structures have been destroyed. 3. The Camp Fire broke out in Butte County, Northern California on November 8 and became the deadliest and most destructive fire on record. At least 88 people perished. About 153,000 acres were burned and 18,800 structures have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire statistics. The fire burned almost 14,000 residences and about 530 commercial structures. The remainder were minor structures. 4. The Hill and Woolsey Fires in the south also caused considerable damage. Both fires started on November 8. The Woolsey Fire burned about 97,000 acres according to Cal Fire. It destroyed about 1,600 structures and killed three people. The Hill Fire burned about 4,500 acres and destroyed four structures.

AFTER THE FIRE

Some fires cause damage that requires special efforts to prevent problems afterwards. Loss of vegetation:

 Exposes soil to erosion;  May increase water runoff and cause flooding;  Move sediments downstream and damage houses  May put endangered species and community water supplies at risk.

Step 1, Emergency Stabilization: After a fire, the first priority is emergency stabilization in order to prevent further damage to life, property or natural resources. The stabilization work begins immediately and may continue for up to a year.

Step 2, Rehabilitation and Restoration: Focused on repairing infrastructure and natural resource damages caused by the fire and can take many years. Actions include: planting trees, reestablishing native species, repairing damage to facilities such as buildings, campgrounds, and fences, restoring habitats and treating invasive plants. Forest Fire Information Updated April 2019

MAPPING https://www.geomac.gov/viewer/viewer.shtml https://fires.globalforestwatch.org/report/index.html#aoitype=ISLAND&dates=fYear‐2016!fMonth‐ 3!fDay‐14!tYear‐2016!tMonth‐3!tDay‐ 21&aois=Sulawesi!Maluku!Lesser%20Sunda!Java!Papua!Kalimantan!Sumatra

RESOURCES https://www.iii.org/fact‐statistic/facts‐statistics‐wildfires https://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/intelligence/2017_statssumm/fires_acres17.pdf https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/fireInfo_stats_totalFires.html https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/11/20/camp‐fire‐3‐startling‐facts/2064758002/ https://www.vox.com/energy‐and‐environment/2018/11/16/18096245/paradise‐california‐wildfire