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 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (September 2009) |
| August/September 2009 California Wildfires | |
|---|---|
 Detail from MODIS satellite image of Station Fire, 29 August 2009. | |
| Date(s) | August 2009 – present |
| Location | California |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | More than 318,000 acres (129,000 ha) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 2 |
The August 2009 California wildfires have burned more than 318,000 acres (129,000 hectares) of land since the beginning of the month, destroying hundreds of structures and killing two people. Many of these wildfires continue to burn into the month of September. Although fires burned many different regions of California in August, the month was especially notable for several very large fires which burned in Southern California, despite being outside of the normal fire season for that region.
The still-burning Station Fire, north of Los Angeles, is the largest and deadliest of these wildfires, having burned more than 140,000 acres (56,600 ha) and killed two firefighters since it began in late August. Another large fire was the La Brea Fire, which burned nearly 90,000 acres (36,400 ha) in Santa Barbara County earlier in the month. A state of emergency was also declared for the 7,800 acre (3,150 ha) Lockheed Fire in Santa Cruz County to the north.
Conditions
Sporadic fires are normal throughout California in the summer and fall as temperatures rise and rainfall drops, causing vegetation to die off and provide fuel for combustion. Three years of drought amplified these effects, making already fire-prone California ripe for wildfires. These fires may be ignited by natural sources like lightning, or through human activity.
In Southern California, the normal wildfire season begins in October with the arrival of the infamous Santa Ana winds, and it is unusual to see fires spread so rapidly at other times of year. However, temperatures throughout the southern part of the state exceeded 100°F (38°C) for much of late August. The combination of high temperatures, low humidity and a large quantity of tinder-dry fuel, some of which had not burnt for decades, allowed some of the normal fires to quickly explode out of control despite the lack of winds to spread the flames. These conditions, along with extreme terrain in many undeveloped areas that impeded access to burn areas, made firefighting difficult.
Notable fires
Dozens of fires burned throughout California in August 2009. Some of the most notable are listed here.
Northern California
Santa Cruz County
- The Lockheed Fire began on 12 August near the Lockheed Martin Space Systems campus in Santa Cruz County.[1][2] A total of 7,817 acres (3,163 ha) burned and thirteen structures were destroyed, including four seasonal cabins but no primary residences.[3] The communities of Swanton and Bonny Doon were evacuated and a state of emergency was declared by Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi on 14 August.[4] State fire crews achieved 100% containment on 23 August 2009, at a cost of $26.6 million (USD).[3] Many hillsides burned by the Lockheed Fire had not burned since 1948 due to active fire suppression in the area. Some plant species endemic to the area, including the endangered Santa Cruz manzanita, propagate only after fire, potentially allowing these rare species to proliferate for the first time in decades.[5]
References
- ^ "Lockheed fire near Santa Cruz, CA". Wildfire Today. 13 August 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
- ^ "Lockheed Fire update: No containment; Bonny Doon evacuated; McCrary home saved". Santa Cruz Sentinel. 13 August 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
- ^ a b "Lockheed Fire Incident Information". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
- ^ "State Of Emergency As Lockheed Fire Rages". KPIX-TV (CBS Channel 5). 14 August 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
- ^ "Scientists excited about new rare plants: recent flames could prompt explosion of manzanita species found nowhere else". Santa Cruz Sentinel. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.