- Author
- Badger, S. G.
- Title
- Large-Loss Fires in the United States 2007.
- Coporate
- National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
- Report
- LLS07, November 2008, 49 p.
- Keywords
- fire statistics | fire losses | wildland fires | forest fires | explosions | fire detection systems | fire suppression | damage | costs | classifications | case histories
- Abstract
- In mid-October, Southern California was in a drought, with only five inches (12.7 centimeters) of rain since January. Santa Ana winds were forecast for a wide area. The winds, along with temperatures in the nineties F (low thirties C), created the scenario that led to one of the costliest fire seasons in recent memory. At approximately 9:42 pm on October 20th, the first fire erupted. Within a week, at least 23 named fires broke out. These fires would became known, collectively, as the Southern California Firestorm of 2007. The governor issued a state of emergency for several of the hardest-hit counties. The Fire Districts Association of California estimated that approximately a million people were evacuated or fled the approaching fires, heading to emergency shelters or to relatives and friends. Firefighters set up unified command systems at all the fires and directed operations. Several of the named fires burned together to form larger fires. Resources were strained for fire suppression crews. Officials reported there were several different sources of ignition, including incendiary acts, power lines damaged by the Santa Ana winds, a vehicle crash, and a youngster playing with matches. Mother Nature played a large role in these fires as well: a deficit in rainfall, temperatures well over 90 degrees F (32 degrees C), relative humidity as low at 10 to 15 percent, and hurricane-strength Santa Ana winds, over 75 mph (121 kph) with gusts of over 100 mph (161 kph).