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August 2009 California Wildfires
Detail from MODIS satellite image of Station Fire, 29 August 2009.
Date(s)August 2009 – present
LocationCalifornia
Statistics
Burned areaMore than 318,000 acres (129,000 ha)
Impacts
Deaths2

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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[2][3] A total of 7,817 acres (3,163 ha) burned and thirteen structures were destroyed, including four seasonal cabins but no primary residences. No cause has been identified.[4] The communities of Swanton and Bonny Doon were evacuated and a state of emergency was declared by Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi on 14 August.[5] State fire crews achieved 100% containment on 23 August, at a cost of $26.6 million (USD).[4] 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.[6]

Southern California

Los Angeles County

  • The Station Fire started on 26 August near the U.S. Forest Service ranger station on the Angeles Crest Highway (State Highway 2).[7][8] Despite the absence of Santa Ana winds that normally spread fire in Southern California, hot temperatures, low humidity and drought-stricken vegetation allowed this fire to spread rapidly. As of 2 September, it has burned 140,150 acres (56,700 ha) in the Angeles National Forest, destroying nearly 100 structures, including 64 homes.[9] Two firefighters were killed on 30 August when their fire truck plunged off a cliff while attempting to escape the flames.[10] The blaze threatens 12,000 structures in the National Forest and nearby communities like La Cañada Flintridge, Glendale, Acton, La Crescenta, Pasadena, Littlerock and Altadena, as well as the Sunland and Tujunga neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles.[11] Many of these areas faced mandatory evacuations as the flames drew near, but as of 2 September, most evacuation orders have been lifted.[9] The Station Fire has been burning on the slopes of Mount Wilson, threatening numerous television, radio and cellular telephone antennas on the summit. The Mount Wilson Observatory, including several historically significant telescopes and multimillion-dollar astronomical facilities operated by UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley and Georgia State University, are also at risk.[12] As of 2 September, improving weather conditions have helped firefighters contain 28% of the fire at a cost of $21 million (USD), although the fire remains active, especially on the eastern front. The cause of this fire is still unknown, but is suspected to be the result of human activity.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b Risling, Greg. (2 September 2009). "Huge wildfire portends bad Calif. fire season". Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  2. ^ Gabbert, Bill. (13 August 2009). "Lockheed fire near Santa Cruz, CA". Wildfire Today. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  3. ^ Squires, Jennifer (13 August 2009). "Lockheed Fire update: No containment; Bonny Doon evacuated; McCrary home saved". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved 3 September 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b "Lockheed Fire Incident Information". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  5. ^ "State of Emergency As Lockheed Fire Rages". KPIX-TV (CBS Channel 5). 14 August 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  6. ^ Bookwalter, Genevieve. (19 August 2009). "Scientists excited about new rare plants: recent flames could prompt explosion of manzanita species found nowhere else". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  7. ^ "New fire breaks out near Angeles Crest Highway; forces road closure". Pasadena Star-News. 26 August 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  8. ^ "Station Fire". InciWeb (United States Forest Service). 3 September 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  9. ^ a b "Station Fire Evening Update Sept. 2, 2009". InciWeb (United States Forest Service). 2 September 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  10. ^ "Firefighters Killed in 'Station Fire' Remembered". KTLA-TV (Channel 5). 1 September 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  11. ^ "Station Fire Evening Update Aug. 31, 2009". InciWeb (United States Forest Service). 31 August 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  12. ^ Knoll, Corinna (31 August 2009). "TV, cellphone signals from Mt. Wilson at risk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 September 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Bloomekatz, Ari B. (2 September 2009). "Station fire pushes farther east to above Sierra Madre; cost of battle pegged at $21 million". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 September 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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