- Author
- Alger, R. S. | Laughridge, F. I. | Nichols, J. R. | Wiltshire, L. L. | Alvares, N. S. | Lee, B. T. | Lipska, A. E. | McKee, R. G.
- Title
- Great Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Diego Fires, September 22-29, 1970.
- Coporate
- Naval Ordnance Laboratory, Silver Spring, MD Stanford Research Inst., Menlo Park, CA
- Report
- NOLTR 71-229, November 9, 1971, 77 p.
- Keywords
- wildland fires | forest fires | urban fires | fuels | fire prevention | water supply | building design | building construction
- Abstract
- During the last week of September 1970, a series of wild land fires swept into Oakland; the Newhall, Chatsworth, Simi, Malibu and Cajon Pass areas of Los Angeles County; and the Alpine, LaCresta, Jamul and Harbison Canyon area of San Diego County. The NOL-SRI Fire Research Group investigated four of these fires to determine (1) factors that enabled wild land fires to enter urban areas, (2) why some houses survived while those around it burned and (3) the role of self-help. These fires followed the pattern expected during hot, dry weather at the end of summer when foehn winds drive flames out of control.