Report on Fires in California
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September 2020 California Wildfires Helping Handbook
HELPING HANDBOOK FOR INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL BUSINESSES AFFECTED BY THE SEPTEMBER 2020 CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES This handbook provides an overview of some issues that individuals, families, and small businesses may face as a result of the fires that broke out in California starting on September 4, 2020. While fires have occurred throughout the state in 2020, this handbook focuses particularly on Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, Napa, San Bernardino, San Diego, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Sonoma counties because, as of the time of this publication, these were the counties covered by the federal government’s Major Disaster Declaration, DR-4569 (declared on October 16, 2020 and later amended), which triggered certain assistance to individuals. Please note, unless otherwise indicated, this handbook is only current through October 19, 2020. By the time you read this material, the federal, state, and county governments may have enacted additional measures to assist victims of the fire that may affect some of the information we present. This handbook will not answer all of your questions. It is designed to set out some of the issues you may have to consider, to help you understand the basics about each issue, and to point you in the right direction for help. Much of the information in this handbook is general, and you may have to contact government officials, or local aid organizations, to obtain more specific information about issues in your particular area. You may feel overwhelmed when considering the legal issues you face, and you may find it helpful or even necessary to obtain an attorney’s assistance. -
Nigro Statusandtrends FEAM 0
Forest Ecology and Management 441 (2019) 20–31 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Forest Ecology and Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/foreco Status and trends of fire activity in southern California yellow pine and T mixed conifer forests ⁎ Katherine Nigroa,b, , Nicole Molinaric a University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States b Colorado State University, Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, 200 W. Lake St, 1472 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1472, United States c USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Los Padres National Forest, 6750 Navigator Way, Suite 150, Goleta, CA 93117, UnitedStates ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Frequent, low to moderate severity fire in mixed conifer and yellow pine forests of California played anintegral Southern California role in maintaining these ecosystems historically. Fire suppression starting in the early 20th century has led to Fire return interval altered fire regimes that affect forest composition, structure and risk of vegetation type conversion following Burn severity disturbance. Several studies have found evidence of increasingly large proportions and patches of high severity Fire size fire in fire-deprived conifer forests of northern California, but few studies have investigated the impactsoffire Natural range of variation suppression on the isolated forests of southern California. In this study, spatial data were used to compare the Yellow pine Mixed conifer current fire return interval (FRI) in yellow pine and mixed conifer forests of southern California tohistorical conditions. Remotely sensed burn severity and fire perimeter data were analyzed to assess changes inburn severity and fire size patterns over the last 32–100 years. -
From Heavy Metals to COVID-19, Wildfire Smoke Is More Dangerous Than You Think 26 July 2021, by Hayley Smith
From heavy metals to COVID-19, wildfire smoke is more dangerous than you think 26 July 2021, by Hayley Smith fire was particularly noxious because it contained particulates from burned homes as well as vegetation—something officials fear will become more common as home-building pushes farther into the state's wildlands. Another study linked wildfire smoke to an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. The findings indicate that as fire season ramps up, the dangers of respiratory illness and other serious side effects from smoke loom nearly as large as the flames. The 2018 Camp fire was the deadliest wildfire on Credit: CC0 Public Domain record in California. At least 85 people died, and nearly 19,000 buildings were destroyed, mostly in Paradise. When Erin Babnik awoke on the morning of Nov. 8, The fire also generated a massive plume of heavy 2018, in Paradise, California, she thought the smoke that spewed dangerously high levels of reddish glow outside was a hazy sunrise. pollution into the air for about two weeks, according to a study released this month by the California Air But the faint light soon gave way to darkness as Resources Board. smoke from the burgeoning Camp fire rolled in. Researchers examined data from air filters and "The whole sky turned completely black, and there toxic monitors to determine that smoke from the fire were embers flying around," Babnik recalled. "I was in many ways more harmful than that of three remember it smelling horrible." other large fires that burned mostly vegetation that year—the Carr fire, the Mendocino Complex fire and She hastily evacuated to nearby Chico with little the Ferguson fire. -
2020 Annual Report
2020 ANNUAL REPORT CHIEF’S MESSAGE January 2, 2021 It is our pleasure to present our 2020 Annual Report to the community. We are proud to report our challenges and accomplishments to you in this very unique year. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, your Montecito Fire Department set a goal to maintain our ability to provide exceptional emergency service to our community despite the challenges presented by the global health crisis. Thanks to the commitment and dedication of every member of the organization, we achieved that goal. The organization suffered no staffing or service issues which enabled us to continue to serve this great community. We also strived to support the community in whatever way possible as residents, businesses, and visitors faced challenges presented by the pandemic. As I write this message, two vaccines are nearing emergency approval and we anxiously await the opportunity for our entire community to be vaccinated. We continue to collaborate with neighboring fire departments, community service organizations, and other local government entities. These partnerships provide the foundation to effectively address community issues together to the benefit of all. In 2020, the Fire District collaborated with the Montecito Association on an outreach project called Hands Across Montecito. This program helps connect homeless people to resources and find permanent housing solutions. Additionally, the Fire Chiefs Association of Santa Barbara County established a public safety task force to identify solutions to parking issues that impede emergency vehicle access and community member egress. The task force is also addressing how to mitigate homeless encampment fires and illegal dispersed camping. -
September 30, 2020
Valley air about to get worse as wildfire smoke has nowhere to go By Corin Hoggard and Dale Yurong Tuesday, September 29, 2020 FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Air quality is about to take a turn for the worse as a changing weather pattern will combine with wildfires to fill the Central Valley with smoke again. The last few months have produced a stretch of the worst air quality on record, according to the Air Pollution Control District. Satellite images show smoke gently blowing from several California fires out to the Pacific Ocean, a weather pattern keeping the Valley's air relatively clean for several days now. "Right now we're seeing the smoke aloft," said Maricela Velasquez of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. "It's above us. But as the week goes through, we'll continue to see that smoke come onto the Valley floor." Here's how: When you have a fire in the Central Valley -- which is essentially just a bowl -- the smoke can usually get out and air quality won't be bad everywhere. But when a high pressure system comes in, it essentially puts a lid on the bowl and the smoke has nowhere to go so it just collects on the Valley floor. "The blocking high, basically, once it sits over a certain spot it likes to stay there for quite a while," said meteorologist Carlos Molina of the National Weather Service in Hanford. Forecasters at the NWS say the lid will sit on our bowl for at least a week. Air Quality Science Director Jon Klassen of the Valley Air District said, "We're expecting that to continue in the coming days." By that time, our air will have collected smoke from the Creek Fire, the SQF Complex Fire, and even more recent fires to our west, like the Glass Fire in the Bay Area. -
Environmental Assessment
United States Department of Agriculture Environmental Assessment Forest Service Silverado Fuel Break March 2013 Trabuco Ranger District, Cleveland National Forest Orange and Riverside Counties, California For More Information Contact: Jacob Gipson Trabuco Ranger District Cleveland National Forest 1147 East 6th Street, Corona, CA 92879 Phone: 951-736-1811 Non-Discrimination Policy The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To File an Employment Complaint If you wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency's EEO Counselor (PDF) within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act, event, or in the case of a personnel action. Additional information can be found online at www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_file.html. To File a Program Complaint If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. -
Prioritizing Investments in Our Community's Recovery & Resiliency
Prioritizing Investments in Our Community’s Recovery & Resiliency PG&E Settlement Funds Community Input Survey Data Compilation Responses collected September 15 to October 25, 2020 1 Begins on Page 3 ………………………………………………………. Graph data for Spanish Survey Responses Begins on Page 22 …………………………………..…………………. Graph Data for English Survey Responses Begins on Page 42 ……………….. Open-Ended Response: Shared ideas (Spanish Survey Responses) Begins on Page 44………………….. Open-Ended Response: Shared ideas (English Survey Responses) Begins on Page 189 ..………... Open-Ended Response: Comments for Council (Spanish Responses) Page 190………..……….. Open-Ended Response: Comments for Council (English Survey Responses) 2 SPANISH SURVEY RESPONSES Did you reside within the Santa Rosa city limits during the October 2017 wildfires? Total Responses: 32 yes no 6% 94% 3 SPANISH SURVEY RESPONSES Was your Santa Rosa home or business destroyed or fire damaged in the 2017 wildfires, or did a family member perish in the 2017 wildfires? Total Responses: 32 yes no 25% 75% 4 SPANISH SURVEY RESPONSES Do you currently reside within the Santa Rosa city limits? Total Responses: 32 yes no 13% 87% 5 SPANISH SURVEY RESPONSES Survey Respondents Current Area of Residence 32 Surveys Did not Respond Outside SR within 3% Sonoma County 3% Northwest SR 38% Northeast SR 22% Southwest SR 34% 6 SPANISH SURVEY RESPONSES Where do you reside? Outside City Limits No Response City Limits Out of County Out of State within Sonoma County Provided Northeast Sebastopol 1 - 0 - 0 unknown 1 Fountaingrove 1 -
Brea Fire Department 2020 Annual Report Brea Fire Annual Report 2020 a Message from Your Brea Fire Chief
7 91 S . 1 M EST E UE FIRE RESC BREA2020 FIRE ANNUAL DEPARTMENT REPORT BREA FIRE ANNUAL REPORT 2020 A MESSAGE FROM YOUR BREA FIRE CHIEF I’m extremely proud to introduce our first ever Brea Fire Department Annual Report for 2020! This was a year filled with many unique challenges from a worldwide pandemic, to extreme wildfires, to civil unrest. Throughout these challenges, the men and women of the Brea Fire Department continued to respond to our community as compassionate professionals. As a highly trained, all-hazard fire department, we take great pride in handling any situation that comes our way. It is important to take time to reflect on our past accomplishments so we remain focused to exceed the following year’s expectations. More importantly, this is our opportunity to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the details of your fire department and the positive impact they are having on our community. It is our belief that the quality of life in our neighborhoods depends on strong partnerships between our citizens, business leaders, elected officials, and City employees. We welcome every opportunity to participate in these partnerships, especially as we continue to move back to our normal way of life. ADAM LOESER BREA FIRE CHIEF BREA FIRE ANNUAL REPORT 2020 PROTECTING OUR CITY Each member of our team has a heart for serving the City of Brea. From our Firefighters to our volunteers, Brea is in great hands. 42 RON ARISTONDO FIREFIGHTERS Fire Prevention Specialist II 3 YEARS OF BREA SERVICE 3 FIRE PREVENTION STAFF 1 JOHN AGUIRRE EMERGENCY Fire Engineer MANAGER 25 YEARS OF BREA SERVICE 2 PROFESSIONAL STAFF ELIZABETH DANG Administrative Clerk II 164 7 YEARS OF BREA SERVICE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT) VOLUNTEERS 8 CHIEF OFFICERS* 1 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) MANAGER* 1 FIRE CHAPLAIN* *Shared with the City of Fullerton BREA FIRE ANNUAL REPORT 2020 COMMAND STAFF Since 2011, the cities of Brea and Fullerton have operated under a Shared Command Staff Agreement. -
Communitywildfire Protectionplan
COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN GROVE STREET FIRE SAFE COUNCIL, INC. FOR THE COMMUNITIES LOCATED ALONG THE GROVE STREET CORRIDOR IN THE WEST SONOMA HILLS Development This Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) was developed by the Grove Street Fire Safe Council, Inc. (GSFSCI) with guidance and support from Fire Safe Sonoma, the County of Sonoma, The California Fire Safe Council, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This CWPP supplements the Sonoma County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. AUGUST 2020 Grove Street Fire Safe Council Inc. http://grovestreetfsc.org/ 1 DISCLAIMER Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of any governmental agency, organization, corporation or individual with which the authors may be affiliated. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. This Community Wildfire Prevention Plan (CWPP) is a work in progress. Various changes are anticipated throughout the Plan over the next several years. Readers are urged to consult with their own agencies having jurisdiction regarding the use or implementation of this Plan, as well as their own legal counsel on matters of concern. While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this Plan, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by receiving this publication. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your specific situation. -
1 CENTER for ORAL and PUBLIC HISTORY CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON and TUCKER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY NARRATOR: PAT ANTRIM
CENTER FOR ORAL AND PUBLIC HISTORY CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON and TUCKER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY NARRATOR: PAT ANTRIM INTERVIEWER: Volker Janssen DATE: June 7, 2008 LOCATION: Silverado Canyon, CA PROJECT: 2007 SANTIAGO FIRE VJ: It is June 7th, 2008, and we are at Pat Antrim's house in Silverado Canyon to talk with him about the Santiago wildfire of October 2007 for the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. My name is Volker Janssen. I'm assistant professor at Cal State Fullerton. Pat, maybe we'll start talking first a little about your life prior to the canyon and maybe prior to your firefighting experiences. Where and when were you born? PA: I was born in Newport Beach, but my life pretty much has been Silverado. My parents moved here when I was a year old, so I've been here for forty-seven of my forty-eight years. VJ: So, you've lived here pretty much all your life. PA: All but one year, yeah. VJ: Wow. And what kind of childhood was that? PA: It was great. It was kind of the Andy Mayberry1 type of childhood. In the sixties and seventies it was an even more small town than it is now, more remote because development hadn't creeped out this far yet. It was the type of place that they stocked the creek up behind the forest service gate, and every Thursday we all went up there with our fishing poles after school. The type of place where you couldn't get—well, you could get into trouble, but everybody knew who you were, where you should be, where you shouldn't be, and if you're in the wrong place, typically somebody would pick you up, take you home, and make sure your parents knew where you were. -
Post-Fire Debris Flows in California: an Atmospheric Perspective
Post-Fire Debris Flows in California: an Atmospheric Perspective Nina Oakley, Ph.D., WRCC/CNAP/CW3E Jeremy Lancaster, CA Geological Survey ALERT User Group Conference, Ventura, CA April 2018 Atmospheric river influenced post-fire debris flow near Santa Barbara, CA, Jan 20 2017 Western Regional Climate Center What is a post-fire debris flow? USGS baseline rate: 25 mm h-1 rate for 15 min 2 Factors • Soils/geology • Burn severity • Steepness of terrain • Rainfall intensity • Are there people there? Source: CA Alluvial Fan Task Force Community of Rancho Mirage CA, situated on an alluvial fan Max intensity may not be triggering intensity Nov 2009, Station Fire burn area (Los Angeles County) Staley et al. 2013, Landslides Outline: CA Post-Fire Debris Flows 1. Climatological study in Transverse Ranges 2. Observations in central/northern California 3. Post-fire debris flows in a future climate Post-fire debris flow on Springs Fire burn area 12/12/2014, Camarillo, CA Outline: CA Post-Fire Debris Flows 1. Climatological study in Transverse Ranges 2. Observations in central/northern California 3. Post-fire debris flows in a future climate Post-fire debris flow on Springs Fire burn area 12/12/2014, Camarillo, CA Study Area You are here Cool Seasons 1980-2014: 19 storm events triggering debris flows on 12 burn areas Oakley et al. 2017 Natural Hazards7 Atmospheric Rivers 13 of 19 (68%) of events associated with Atmospheric River Image Source: CIMSS Thanks to Shawn Roj for assembling 8 Conceptual- Synoptic Conditions Oakley et al. 2017 Natural Hazards9 Conceptual-Cross-Section Oakley et al. -
Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District 602 E
A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UPPER SAN GABRIEL VALLEY MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT 602 E. HUNTINGTON DRIVE, SUITE B, MONROVIA, CA 91016 9:00 A.M. – SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 SPECIAL NOTICE Teleconference Accessibility Pursuant to Executive Order N-29-20 issued by Governor Newsom in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Upper District will hold its board meeting via teleconference or the most rapid means of communication available at the time. Instructions to participate in the teleconference are below: Attendee Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 849 0079 9369 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84900799369 Telephone Dial: Meeting ID: 849 0079 9369 1 (669) 900 - 6833 Public comments may be made through teleconference when prompted by the President during the public comment period. Public comments may also be provided by emailing [email protected] in advance of the meeting. Please indicate “PUBLIC COMMENT” in the subject line. If you have difficulty connecting to the teleconference line, please call (626) 443-2297 or email [email protected]. It may take a few minutes to join Zoom or connect via telephone so please join early. AGENDA 1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. ROLL CALL OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS 3. ADOPTION OF AGENDA [1] 4. PUBLIC COMMENT Anyone wishing to discuss items should do so now. The Board of Directors may allow additional input during the meeting. A three-minute time limit on remarks is requested. 5. CONSENT CALENDAR [1] (a) Approve minutes of a regular meeting of the Board of Directors held on September 9, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.