San Diego Wildfires Powerpoint

| View | Upload your own

Causes of Forest Fires

Causes of Forest Fires

There are many contributions to forest fires, both due to humans and natural causes. Forest fires need fuel, oxygen, and heat in order to survive. The fuel is provided through bushes, trees, and houses, oxygen is a given since it is everywhere, and the natural climate of California provides the heat. Wood reacts at 572 degrees with oxygen to produce a flame; things such as lightening, camp fire sparks, and flint help wood start this reaction.

Other causes of Forest Fires:

1. Man’s negligence
- along roadways
- in rural areas
- in wooded areas
- along railway lines
- tourists recreational activities
- fire-cracks, rockets, other explosives
- dumping and burning of illegal wastes
- bad maintenance of electrical lines
- broken or fallen wires

2. Forces of nature

3. Earthquakes (1906 San Francisco earthquake)

4. Sparks from trains or other locomotives

5. Burning and clearing of land

6. Intent on seeking advantages, such as opening new trails

7. Arson

8. Weather (temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind)

9. Steep slopes offer greater potential for increased fire intensity (making it more difficult to fight the fire)

10. In 2006 83% of forest fires were started by human activities

11. smokers (dropping cigarettes or matches into brush)

Solutions

It is important to understand that wildfires may occur as a natural process. It can be a way that the environment can cleanse itself. The key is to look at long term solutions. These solutions will place an emphasis on the root causes of extreme wildfires and how to minimize the impact on communities.

First, there must be a change in fire suppression policies.

• “North American forest management policies and practices over the past 100 years have had the unfortunate consequence of creating conditions that make forest fires burn hotter and with greater severity. During this time, fires have been put out as quickly as possible in order to “protect” timber and private property. The problem is that this allows dead plant matter (dead trees, fallen branches, leaves, small shrubs, brush) to collect on the forest floor, which creates larger and larger “fuel loads”. So instead of small fires that occur frequently, we end up with large fires that create incredible damage.”

Second, there must be a change to how we design our communities.

• More and more people are moving further and further into forested areas, which greatly increase the length of the border between forests and homes. This boundary between forests and human settlement is referred to as the ‘wildland-urban interface’. The ever-increasing size of this interface not only increases the chance of contact with fire, but it dilutes the limited firefighting resources. Firefighters focus on saving houses and families before they work at the source of the fire. This is clearly the right choice, but bringing in more firefighters and water bombers may not be the best way to prevent forest fires from destroying our homes.

Third, there still needs to be a continuation of education on how to prevent man-made fires with a stronger effort to prevent climate change.

• The increase in hot, dry weather is likely the result of global climate change, and it is predicted to get worse. The hot weather dehydrates the fuel on the forest floor, creating perfect conditions for fire. The dryness of the weather also prevents fire dampening from rain.

While there are areas where “thinning” a forest can help, it is a very expensive endeavor. Most of the trees that need to be removed are small in diameter, and have little or no commercial value. Therefore, in order to offset the very high cost of thinning, logging companies are often given the rights to cut the large, old, fire-resistant trees in the forest. This compromises the intent to thin the forest to protect ecosystem values, as this type of logging does not mimic natural patterns, and fire resistant trees are removed. Furthermore, the impact on sensitive soils from machinery used in logging damages the ecosystem. Forest 101 Solutions

California News Article

Lockheed Martin's CC-130J Delivers Solution to Wildfires

Key Terms

Key Terms-Related to Wildfires

• Environmental Sociology

• Environmental Justice

• Global Warming

• Deforestation

• Wildfire Social Inequality

• Loss of Productive Farmland

• Deforestation

• Soil Erosion

• Desertification(desert,dry land)

• Diminish Fertile Land

Premeditated, Structural, Equivocal Betrayals in San Diego

Premeditated Betrayal

“Premeditated Betrayal can be defined as cases where powerful individuals and organizations intentionally act in a craver, reckless and self-serving manner” (Gunter, Kroll-Smith, Volatile Places, 73). In applying this concept to the wildfire that spread throughout many counties in California, including San Diego, there may not be a specific powerful organization whose actions placed the community in harms way due to the fact that no one agencies, governmental or non governmental created this disaster. With that there were many initial reasons for these fires to have ignited. Events like human carelessness, as in arson and climate factors, seasons of droughts. Several fires were noted to have been triggered by power lines damaged by high winds. One fire started by an overturned semi-truck and a 10 year old boy admitted that he accidentally started the buckweed fire playing with matches. These are just examples of how human nature may influence Mother Nature in negatives ways.

When thinking about private companies that may be involved in helping with these fires, the companies involved usually would not have made a profit. The fire departments are there to help and other community organizations are there to help those who have lost many possessions from these fires. There was fire donation centers established where residents that were affected by the fires would “shop” for lost items. In times of crisis, government agencies and local agencies are found in unison. The different agencies are there to help those in need. However, it may be true that local agencies will stay longer to help than governmental agencies. President Bush order federal aid to this area form the U.S. Armed Forces, the U.S. National Guard as well as 3,000 prisoners convicted of non-violent crimes were sent into help. Another governmental agency that had a dominant role was FEMA. As the FEMA website states: “FEMA continues to work side-by-side with state officials and other federal partners engaged in the recovery efforts to multiple wildfires across Southern California.” Other events or agencies that were present at the time of the fires were the community aid group “Fallbrook After the Ashes,” Sally Hales of the Hope Foundation, and Helping hands Disaster Relief Foundation to name a few.

At this time there was a lot of media attention given to the area and attention started to drift away from Hurricane Katerina. Although both areas deserve much attention, the area in California is higher in socio-economic status. Where in Louisiana there was much looting occurring in the area and even though this area may need more attention, the wildfires took over. The socio-economic status of a community definitely plays a large role in gaining media attention and sympathy from the public
History of San Diego

Structural Betrayal / Equivocal Betrayal

“Structural and equivocal betrayal may be closely related. Structural betrayal can be defined as situations where residents perceive serious failure on the part of powerful organizations, but this occurs in the absence of any intent on the part of governments/corporations to behave in a negative manner” (Gunter, Kroll-Smith, Volatile Places, 73). When thinking about the damage wildfires can cause to a community, there is a lot of damage to fix. One major issue is rebuilding the community. This can be thought of in regards to physically rebuilding the community as well as the community’s morale. Rebuilding people homes and lifestyle is another big issue. Also, air quality is damaged as well as soil, plant, and wildlife health. There is a lot of attention needed in many different areas. The fires and their smoke pose a number of health risks including serious respiratory ailments reaching far beyond the wildfire boundaries. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) publicized the effects fires may have on its victims.
HHS advises that people in the affected areas take precautions, and recommends taking the following protective actions:

• Limit exposure to smoke
• Listen to local air quality reports.
• Follow your doctor's advice if you have asthma or another lung disease.
• Do not rely on dust masks commonly found at hardware stores for protection. These masks will not protect your lungs from smoke.

Citizens in the affected area are urged to listen for messages from state and local emergency officials and be aware of evacuation and sheltering orders in their communities.
California Fires


BBC News article about President Bush

Considering there are not many new problems created from this issue, many agencies are willing to work together to help this community. Also, in situations of natural disasters, citizens of the United States may expect the government to step in and take control of helping the people affected. In San Diego, one notable government agency that helped is FEMA. “President Bush has issued a major disaster declaration for California and ordered greater federal aid to supplement state and local response activities in the affected areas. Federal resources began mobilizing as early as Sunday, October 21, and authorized federal funds to reimburse the state for certain costs incurred under FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grant Program. Under those grants, FEMA pays for 75 percent of the state’s eligible fire-fighting costs. Eligible costs include equipment, supplies, and emergency work evacuations, shelters and traffic control. A major disaster declaration for California was granted Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007, for seven affected California counties (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura). FEMA & Response

Apart of the FEMA website are recommendations on how to re build after a wildfire. Returning to your fire-damaged home will undoubtedly be an emotional experience. But as you go about the task of rebuilding, there are many ways to rebuild safer, stronger, smarter and more resilient to wildfires. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has teamed with Firewise Communities, the Federal Alliance for Safe Housing, and the Institute for Business and Home Safety to provide information about rebuilding after a fire. Strategies for preventing future damage include:

• Consider using materials such as Class-A asphalt shingles, slate or clay tile, metal or cement, and concrete products for roof construction.
• Construct a fire-resistant sub-roof for added protection.
• Use fire resistant materials such as stucco or masonry for exterior walls.
• Prevent sparks from entering your home through vents by covering exterior attic and underfloor vents with wire mesh no larger than 1/8 of an inch.
• Keep your gutters, eaves, and roof clear of leaves and other debris.
  FEMA Suggestions

Another organization that is highly recognizable in the time of a disaster is the American Red Cross. One of the relief efforts seen from The Red Cross was that they reserved motel rooms for the workers who wanted to aide in helping with the California wildfires.
“With more than a dozen fires burning out-of-control over a wide geography and with hundreds of thousands of people evacuated, the Red Cross made every effort in the first days of the disaster to send adequate resources and volunteers to southern California. Part of that preparation meant acquiring space to house disaster workers. As the scope of the response over the next days proved smaller than first anticipated, the Red Cross quickly reduced the number of disaster workers deployed. Despite an overall successful relief operation, the Red Cross has determined that it paid for 6,074 motel room nights which went unused during the response to last October’s wildfires, and the organization pledged to refund that money to the community’s wildfire recovery program. The number of unused rooms was approximately 22% of the 27,714 room nights booked during the wildfires. The rooms, which were reserved as quickly as possible house disaster workers, were booked at several motels in the San Diego area.”
San Diego Red Cross

Costs and Benefits

Cost and Benefits

There are many costs associated with forest fires and many organizations have been designed to help control financial distribution. The San Diego Foundation plays a large role in providing financial assistance. In 2003 nearly 3,500 structures were destroyed due to forest fires. The After the Fire Fund was established to receive donations in order to make grants to non-profit organizations that engaged in disaster relief. Costs associated with forest fires include health and human services, environmental damages, rebuilding communities, and restoring land.

There are many legal restrictions when it comes to distributing costs; these include accounting requirements, designing criteria, and processes to select and verify recipients of the funds. Some organizations need help distributing funds so it is recommended that donations be made to specific non-profit organizations, such as LEAD San Diego, to demonstrate the best practices and lessons learned. It has been suggested that other organizations, such as The Foundation as the Center for Charitable Giving, should create guidelines for funds to achieve their charitable purpose; communities want to use the Foundations methods rather than their own so it will be effective. Guidelines are helpful because although organizations attempt to evenly and fairly distribute money there are tensions among groups. Money is not always evenly distributed to neighborhoods, consumer and merchants, family matters, small businesses, and land lord/tenant issues. This brings on horizontal disputes (groups with different opinions). Unfortunately there is not always a method for solving these disputes and about 80% of mediations end with a voluntary agreement between the parties involved.

Although costs would seem to bring more problems to the people of San Diego they also come with few benefits. For example the community is able to come together; there are certain events that take place to celebrate and mark progress made in forest fire relief. There is also increased communication and shared knowledge throughout the community. People are able to share helpful information by organizing work shops and other such events to better prepare citizens for forest fires and what actions should be taken.

Uncertainty and Disputes

Sources of Uncertainty:

When environmental disasters take place normally there is a dispute over who caused it or who is to blame. The San Diego wildfire disaster is different because there is not a dispute about who is to blame for the fires. The San Diego fires can be classified into two different sorts of disputes. First, it is a Conservancy dispute. Conservancy disputes are described by disagreements over defining and protecting natural areas. This applies to the San Diego Wildfires because since the fires have occurred, disputes have dealt with how to protect the land in the future. One problem that has occurred is with fire hydrants and with water shortages.

The San Diego wildfires can also be considered an exposure dispute. An exposure dispute is a fight against a disaster that has already occurred. This applies to the San Diego Wildfires because the dispute is not a about how the fire started. The community is disputing with each other and the government about how deal with the fires since they have started. Also, since the fires have started the community has come across a number of problems. Some disputes that repeatedly occur deal with insurance and debris removal.

One of the causes of wildfires is global warming. The San Diego Declaration explains that global warming makes wildfires much harder to control and manage. There is a lot of evidence that proves that global warming has a direct link to wildfires.

There is not a lot of controversy about whether the wildfires will strike again in California. Most agree that if efforts to stop global warming are not made, the wildfires will continue to spread in the future. As time goes on without changes being made, the danger in the future increases.

The fires are measured in a few ways. One way is the number of acres that are burnt. When discussing wildfires the percentage of fire that was contained and what percentage was not is also measured. The damage of the fire is also measured in the number of causalities and injuries.

The Vertical Axis of Knowledge Disputes

Local residents are not questioning what experts say about the wildfires. The experts blame a lot of the fires on global warming. The majority of people do not deny that global warming is occurring. San Diego residents heard about global warming’s effects on other parts of the country and are now personally suffering the painful effects.

The San Diego wildfires caused some vertical wildfires. A vertical conflict is a conflict that takes place between the community and the government. Often the disputes are over the validity and reliability of tests and measurements. The reason there is not a vertical conflict is because the people of San Diego realize that the facts are correct. They can not argue the number of fires that started or the damage it caused.

Some disputes between the government did take place however. For example, the disaster area has received some financial assistance. FEMA requires the people of San Diego to register and apply for assistance. Also FEMA completed inspections where the fires damaged property. These inspections were likely to create disputes because many people were unhappy with the how FEMA reported the damage. The people of California had disputes with not only insurance companies but also with the government about how much aid and assistance they felt they deserved. ALE (Additional Living Expenses) issues also are a problem. As a result of the fire many people were left unemployed. People in the San Diego area were forced to look for assistance so that they were able to survive. They went to the government when looking for this assistance.

The Horizontal Axis of Knowledge Disputes

The San Diego wildfires also caused horizontal arguments. Horizontal arguments occur between groups in a community with opposing opinions about environmental troubles. These disputes tend to occur in most disasters because when a tragedy occurs people are under stress and conflicts are likely to arise. People feel as though resources and assistance may not be distributed evenly. Also, people have different opinions on how the disaster should be handled. When controversies like this occur, they can be defined as Horizontal disputes. All together, the community joined forces well to deal with the disaster.

Profile of San Diego Area

Profile of San Diego Area

The forest fires are taking place all through California. One place where the damage is very serious is San Diego, California. San Diego has a desirable climate to many people. In the last few years the community has made an effort to make the citizens more prepared for emergencies. The San Diego has been joining organizations on a national, state and local level to educate the community. The reason for doing this is that the people realize that disaster comes with out warning and these programs make people more ready to handle a disaster when it strikes.

City of San Diego Homeland Security Message

San Diego is a large community with a population of about 2.5- 3 million in 2006. In 2006 there were about 1,200,000 households. The forest fires damaged many of these homes and all of them were affected. It is the seventh largest city in the United States. The city has about 2,000,000 million people who are white and about 150,000 African Americans. The Latino population in San Diego is 800,000. In 2006, the average household had about 3 people.

San Diego California Fast Facts

San Diego Data Profile Highlights

In 2006 there were about 1 million people over the age 16 who were in the work force in San Diego. One of the most popular industries in San Diego is the educational services/ health care industry. There is some poverty in San Diego but many of the people living there are well off. For example, in 2006, 8.1% of families were living in poverty. Also in 2006, there were about 70,000 people who were unemployed. 153,000 households had an income between $150,000- $199,000. 57,000 households had an income between $100,000- $149,000. Less the 100,000 households had an income between $25,000- $34,999.

San Diego Characteristics (U.S. Census Bureau)

The city has a wide variety of landforms. San Diego is a bay and has miles of shorelines. Also it consists of mountains, fertile valleys, canyons and dense forests. The mountain ranges located in and near San Diego are called the Peninsular Ranges. The summers are cool and the winters are warm due to the air from the Pacific Ocean. The area of San Diego is 342 square miles.

San Diego Geography and Climate

In 1988 the San Diego City Council created the Environmental Services Department. This department was created in hopes of helping the community and in hopes of improving San Diego’s long-term waste removal process. The department is also looking for the most efficient ways to reduce and recycle the amount of waste in the city. The department created 3 separate divisions: Waste Collection Services, Waste Reduction and Disposal Division, and Energy, Sustainability and Environmental Protection division. This is only one example of the many programs people have created so that they can have good contact with the environment.

Environmental Service Department of San Diego

Groups and Individuals Involved

Groups and Organizations Involved:

Concerning forest fires in San Diego there are many groups, individuals, and organizations involved in efforts to both control the problem and provide relief to victims and the environment. These organizations are involved not only in the local community of San Diego, but also throughout the rest of the state of California and all over the United States. Specific agendas vary among the participants as described below:

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection- protects people of the community from forest fires by responding to emergencies, protecting and enhancing the forest, range, and watershed; this all provides better social, economic, and environmental benefits to the community. Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Website

San Diego Fire Recovery Network- wants to foster the recovery of the environmental damage through science, public education, and land and community restoration. They hold meetings and events which educate people on forest fires, their work shops address several issues in the wildlife, and they offer access to many other resources to help find out more helpful information. Fire Recovery Website

Janet Franklin, Linnea A. Spears-Lebrun, Douglas H. Deutschman, and Kim Marsden- the first three individuals are from the Department of Biology at San Diego State University and the fourth is from California State Parks. They explain how humans have turned forest fires against nature, at one point forest fires were beneficial. They performed studies to determine which factors were important to the mortality of certain trees and discovered that the plant community is regenerating. Science Direct Article

The San Diego Foundation- is funded by many individuals and organization. They have established things such as the After-the-Fire-Fund to help raise money to make emergency grants to nonprofit organizations that helped engage in previous forest fire relief. They have also done community assessments to make the concerns of the community members known. They have tried to do numerous other thing ssuch as make temporary housing available, watch out for the needs of the environment, and provide support to rebuild communities. The San Diego Foundation Website

National Interagency Fire Center- offers many fire programs along with training and qualifications. It also offers additional information such as communications, science and technology, timelines, and other helpful resources to help educate people on forest fires. National Interagency Fire Center Website

National Firewise Communities- multi-agency effort designed to go beyond the fire services and reach out to community members in order to protect people, property, and natural resources from any type of risk. National Firewise Communities Website

Other people involved include county officials, the President of the United States, federal troops; including Marines and the National Guard, the mayor, San Diego Board of Supervisors, the governor, firefighters, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, newspapers, radio stations, TV stations, and numerous individuals from the community who do things such as try to put out fires with garden hoses.

Brief History

Brief History

The San Diego communities have faced a variety of crises in the past relating to the spread of wildfires. Fires were frequent in the early 1800s in the San Diego regions. There was a Forest Reserve Act of 1891 that demanded for the protection of forestry due to the effects of the fires. The reserves help preserve the land. San Diego area have been known for having multiple fire struggles in their fire season mostly happening in the month of October. Most of the problems have been said to be strengthen by wind.

San Diego History

Farming

Farming

There are traditional cultural practices in the area of San Diego California such as farming. Many have been left without homes and unable to continue their cultural practice of farming because of the destruction the fire caused. The San Diego Farm Bureau has saw to address the issue that has lead many people out of work.

The San Diego Department of Agriculture that gathers information with other relief programs as well as the insurer to be help. The problem with most of this relief is that many individuals are undocumented workers that are part of a community for years. Most of these people are being left behind to deal with many of the problems that have left many without jobs and homeless in the mountains. Firestorm 2007 Resources

The Farm Bureau has taken on the task to help in keeping traditional farming roles and practices in several local places by providing resources for farming families. Those that are unable to depend in farming can applied for a Union bank Scholarship Application for Fire-Impacted Families.

Many of the rural areas of the county had tremendous loses in agricultures. “Unfortunately, when farmers lose their farms, it may take up to 3 to 5 years before the re-planting process will return income to them.” San Diego Farm Bureau Scholarship

Union Bank of California Scholarship Application for Fire-Impacted Farm Families

The San Diego country has had to deal with previous disasters that have made the community fear and government at a lack for funds and support for the destruction many October wildfires in the California area.

Breakdown

The Event of Conflict

Forest fires has become a problem for many of the residents living in San Diego, California. It does not only affect the wildlife of forest settings but also homes of people who surround it. Wildfires increase by the minutes by the initiating an initiating fire. The start of unprecedented fire can spark up from problems within the climate and can cause natural disasters.

Various Participants In Community Awareness

Group of people living in San Diego called the Rotarians aided many who lost their homes. A Rotarian is defined as a member of a major national and international service club. They have provided long term relief since the fire in October of 2007. “Before the embers died, members of the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo Sunrise (San Diego) walked the streets of the fire-weary community, helping families, oftentimes strangers, sift through ash and rubble in hopes of salvaging items. They donated clothes and food and worked with the Red Cross to help coordinate volunteer efforts.” – Rotary International News. The Rotarian Clubs have help a lot with the cost to relief and donated funds to the community in which they are situated affected by the fires. Former club members also received help by Rotarian support as well as other communities within the San Diego area. They have dedicated to help long term throughout the star of the conflict.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has also mentioned collaborating in helping the relief but has consumed much time in the effort. According to those who waited for promise for prefabricated homes for victims has delayed for over three months after the event occur. The hopes for a home for many felt short because of many issues that denied many to have mobile homes according to county officials because of several risks involved in establishing the homes. Although FEMA has been know to be the first in the scene in such events as Katrina and the forest fires in California arising problems with the community in having these properties in the land of many of the residents as they all want a promise. But the challenges have made it difficult for FEMA to meet many of the demands.

Nongovernmental Strategies

Firefighters and local agencies arrived at the scene and maintain control of the fire and order in the community by evacuating residents. Many have been unable to be take advantage of the need and help that has been promised to them. The need for help has been overwhelming onna local,federal, and national level.

Timing of Support of Major Governmental Actions

The timing of the action from the City Counsel of San Diego to help with residential fee cost became a progression immediately as the destructive fires engulf California homes. It took a while for governmental action to take effect in helping in new establishment of the homes. “The City Council agreed unanimously today to waive building and demolition fees to help San Diego residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the wildfires”. (Oct. 30, 2007) San Diego agreed to wave the feeds for rebuilding of homes and demolishing the burn and destructive homes. Communities like Maienschein alongside others were given by the city council waivers for the fees that would have to be paid for the building and demolition of burn homes.

“City staffers told the council the fee waivers would cost about $500,000 in the coming fiscal year, and the voucher program about $1.2 million” - North County Times

The cities furthered develop to work with the states to help with the upset of the cost for the town from federal disaster assistance.

The San Diego Foundation was amongst the relief of people. This local foundation in December became active. It has received many commitments and donations from local, federal, national, and individual people. If many of these promise donations will occur is yet to be officially determine. Many of the community leaders have been active in sending letters and making reports for needed aid. There is still work on reports that has been done from previous incident in 2003 Cedar fire.

“Major grants will be announced in January, but nearly $86,000 has already been awarded to the San Diego Regional Fire and Emergency Services Foundation for equipment replacement for nine county volunteer fire departments, including San Pasqual, Deerhorn Valley and the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove departments.: - Darryn Bennet, North County Times

Events of Conflict Still Need Relief

Many of the local communities and the national government has aided in the effort to relieve victims of the San Diego forest fire in 2007 that has relieve. Many of the residents are still struggling to get their property back and to establish their homes which have taken an overdue process. There are many victims that have been unseen. There are a population of undocumented workers in hillsides and farmers affected by the forest fires.

“The farm workers are hard to reach physically, living in the remote areas of the canyon, but they are also linguistically isolated. Many are members of Mexico's indigenous Mixtec and Zapotec communities and do not speak English or Spanish.”- Amanda Martines, The Nation

Many are yet to be rescued from short and long term effects of these fires.