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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
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December
2007
Volume 13
- Number 3 |
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Summary of western US fire season in 2007 By Sarah Maloney After a record 2006 fire season the burned more than
9.8 million acres in more than 96,000 wildfire, the 2007 wildfire season
may surpass the previous record. While the figures are for the entire
nation, the majority of the fires were west of the Rockies. Fire scientists
at the National Interagency Fire Center Predictive Services Group predicted
an above average season for 2007, “significant fire potential is expected
to be higher than normal across much of the Southwest and California, portions
of the Great Basin, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Alaska and the Southeast."
Researchers at Oregon State University and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service also
predicted a fairly severe fire season for the West, citing widespread drought
conditions and huge fuel buildups in western forests and rangelands as a
primary cause.
The typical U.S. fire season is from May until November, however this year the first fires out west were seen in California in March. In early May, a large fire had burned over 600 acres in the Griffith Park area of Los Angeles. During June, large wildland fire activity was reported across parts of the West, which was followed by a large spike in fire activity in July. In mid-July, wildfires burned across northern Nevada, eastern Oregon, and southern and central Idaho, and during the latter-half of July fire activity was focused across the Northern Rockies. The trend continued through August and at the end of the month, wildfires were burning primarily across central Idaho and western Montana, and by early September activity had spread southwestward across parts of California. By the end of the September, wildfire activity had mostly abated across most of the U.S. However, in early October several large fires had initiated across parts of the West due to drought conditions and strong Santa Ana winds which brought devastating wildfires to Southern California in October. Numerous large fires burned over 900,000 acres during the month across the region. By months end most of the fires were contained, although in early November two large fires continued to burn in Orange and San Diego counties. From Southern California to Montana, seven firefighters have died this year battling blazes that have destroyed more than 400 houses, a dramatic increase from last year. For firefighters the job has become more hazardous by an onslaught of houses and vacation cabins being built across the West. By September 26th wildfires had destroyed 409 houses across the West, more than 1 1/2 times last year's total of 263, according to federal. In California alone, 338 houses had burned by the end of October. One interesting debate that came to national attention during the intense fire season was the possible affects of climate change on the fire season. The debate became quiet heated as both sides of the climate change issue brought their viewpoints and scientific studies to the media. While the debate continues on the ultimate causes of the intense fire season, the resulting devastation of this season puts it on the charts as at least the second worst season on record, possibly only surpassed by the 2006 season. This year over 9.2 million acres were burned by over 77,000 fires according to the National Climatic Data Centers November 15th report. That begs the question; will next year be even worse? Sources: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/In_Record_Wildfire_Season_NOAA_Satellites_Aid_US_Fire_Managers_999.html http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2007/05/15/79691.htm http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2007/fire07.html http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060707093644.htm http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-western-US-wildfires-burn-more-aggressively2oct07 http://www.nifc.gov/safety.html http://www.salem-news.com/articles/may052007/west_fires_050507.php |