"The state did a great job in quickly responding to the terrible Southern California fires, and the cooperation between all levels of government was impressive," said Governor Schwarzenegger in a November press release. "But, our job isn't over yet. We need to make sure we are even better prepared for next time."
Over the past four years, Governor Schwarzenegger has increased funding to state fire protection by 84%. This amounts to $259 million for equipment, firefighters, planning, and fuels management. Since 2003, 109 new engines have been purchased to replace old Cal Fire engines at a cost of $26.5 million, according to sources. In 2005, his purpose was two-fold.
"First, doing whatever we can to prevent fires before they can happen, and second when a fire does break out, having everything it takes to limit the damage and loss of life," he said.
This year, Governor Schwarzenegger asked the task force to study not only whether California had enough fire engines and personnel to coordinate its response, but also to look at whether the state should allow homes and businesses to be built in areas most prone to wildfires.
"We've had our second 100-year fire in four years, said Carrol Wills, a spokesman for the California Professional Firefighters and a member of the Blue Ribbon Task Force, as reported by National Public Radio. "So, if you are going to have a 100-year fire every four years, it seems that you need to dramatically change your definition of what the fire danger is in California. Where they build the homes has a lot to do with whether or not they will be lost."
The wildfires were the result of arson fires started during peak Santa Ana winds. The winds, particularly those experienced in Malibu, were some of the strongest Southern California has seen since the government started keeping records in the 1930s.
"It's probably up there in the top five, as far as wind speeds go," says Eric Boldt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, as reported by National Public Radio.
What actions can Southern California take to reduce the threat of future wildfires? Governor Schwarzenegger's Blue Ribbon Task Force is expected to have a report with the recommendations in early 2008, but the following are some actions scientists have taken in the past to prevent wildfires from burning communities.
Re-foraging with Native Plants
When wildfires are hot enough to burn the roots of plants, such as the recent Southern California wildfires, the majority of re-grown vegetation in the aftermath is often non-native, invasive plant species that are more fire-prone than the native plant species. A fire that burns non-native plant species will also be hotter. In addition, the growth of non-native plant species, which often have shallow roots, can lead to erosion and spring flooding.
Scientists learned a lot about forest fires in the 1980s when Yellowstone National Park experienced a big one. Forest fires are part of a natural cyclic process of rebirth in forests.
California's natural landscape is engineered to benefit from periodic fires. Many native plants actually need fires to germinate. But wildfires are on the rise, in both frequency and intensity, in part because of hotter, drier conditions. If a fire recurs in an area within five to 10 years, the hardy native shrubs may not get the chance to mature and create seeds. Exotic weed-like grasses that germinate quickly can fill in areas faster than natives can recover, reported the Associated Press.
Because those grasses have shallower roots, the potential for erosion and mudslides increases. Forestry experts in Southern California are now assessing which burned areas would most benefit from the planting of native species in order to prevent exotic species from growing, as well as to protect wildlife habitat.
Lost native vegetation means lost habitat to native wildlife. Small birds, rabbits, and other animals dependent on California's rapidly disappearing native vegetation will struggle to maintain a foothold, while some endangered species will be trapped. Scientists say it will take years to know the extent of the long-term damage of the recent Southern California fires, reported the Associated Press.
Fuel Load Reduction
With so many houses being built along the urban interface, communities must find a way to prevent the fires from burning structures and from endangering human lives. The urban interface is a line, area, or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with trees and foliage in unsettled areas.
In 2006, the City of Portland, OR, in conjunction with FEMA, performed a study on the fuel load reduction needs in their community. Fuel load reduction is the removal of excess fuels through thinning, limbing, slash pile burning, or other methods to reduce the potential for severe wildfires, according to the draft environmental assessment that was published.
"Large areas of Portland City are comprised of natural areas, stream corridors, and open spaces. While this is a community asset, it is also a fire hazard at the wildland-urban interface," the draft environmental assessment reported. "Large areas of highly flammable, non-native vegetation are present on steep slopes near homes and businesses. Stands of dead trees and vertical ladder fuels are expanding in areas with limited fire [areas where a forest fire had not occurred in years]. For these reasons, the risk for catastrophic wildfire is increasing."
Fuel load reduction is a process that creates fuel breaks, particularly close to structures. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Davis, CA, provided a guide to homeowners as to how they can reduce the threat of wildfires coming too close to their homes. First, homeowners must install fire-proof roofs in order for fuel load reduction to have a chance to be effective. Then a community must coordinate a plan.
"Thinning is vital to the health of watersheds in fire-prone areas because it reduces the amount of fuel a fire has available to burn. It reduces the heat and intensity of a fire, hence reducing the negative effects a fire creates in a watershed. With proper thinning, a fire will move through an area consuming only grass and small shrubs, allowing the mature trees and human-built structures to survive," the NRCS report said.
Although fuel load reduction has been criticized by some environmental groups with the concern that removing brush is not natural and could be harmful to habitats, the Sierra Club claimed in an October press release that not a single fuels reduction project has been appealed in Southern California forests in a decade.
"The Sierra Club has long supported responsible fuel reduction around communities and fully supports any wildfire policy that makes community protection its top priority," the press release stated. "This week's fires, which are taking place largely in brush and chaparral, underscore the need to focus our fire prevention efforts in the areas around communities, rather than deep in the backcountry forest."
Communities not only should plan how far apart homes are built and how close shrubbery is to each home, but where fire hydrants are installed, how wide roads are made, and how much space is given in a cul-de-sac so that emergency vehicles can come in and out more easily, according to the State of Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands' website.
For more information about fire prevention techniques and fuel load reduction, contact your local fire department.
