2009 California wildfires
Encyclopedia
The 2009 California wildfires were a series of 63 wildfire
s that were active in the state of California
, USA, during the year 2009. The fires burned more than 336020 acre of land from the beginning of July through late November due to red flag warning
s, destroying hundreds of structures and killing two people. Although the fires burned many different regions of California in August, the month was especially notable for several very large fires which burned in Southern California
, despite being outside of the normal fire season for that region.
The Station Fire, north of Los Angeles, was the largest and deadliest of these wildfires, burning 160577 acre and killing two firefighters since it began in late August. Another large fire was the La Brea Fire, which burned nearly 90000 acre in Santa Barbara County earlier in the month. A state of emergency was also declared for the 7800 acre Lockheed Fire
in Santa Cruz County
to the north.
In Southern California, the normal wildfire season begins in October with the arrival of the infamous Santa Ana winds, and it is unusual to see fires spread so rapidly at other times of year. However, temperatures throughout the southern part of the state exceeded 100 °F (38 °C) for much of late August. The combination of high temperatures, low humidity and a large quantity of tinder-dry fuel, some of which had not burnt for decades, allowed some of the normal fires to quickly explode out of control despite the lack of winds to spread the flames. These conditions, along with extreme terrain in many undeveloped areas that slowed access to burn areas, made firefighting difficult.
has burnt an estimated 8500 acres (34.4 km²), destroying two outbuildings and injuring two firefighters. Governor Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency. The fire, which started between Fillmore
and Moorpark
, has caused the evacuation of almost 600 homes in Meridian Hills and Bardsdale
; about 1,000 structures are threatened, in addition to oil pipelines in the area. On September 27, the Guiberson Fire was 100 percent contained after burning approximately 17500 acres (70.8 km²); the cause is still unconfirmed.
, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties in August.
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
s that were active in the state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA, during the year 2009. The fires burned more than 336020 acre of land from the beginning of July through late November due to red flag warning
Red flag warning
A Red Flag Warning is a forecast warning issued by the United States National Weather Service to inform area firefighting and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for wildland fire ignition and propagation...
s, destroying hundreds of structures and killing two people. Although the fires burned many different regions of California in August, the month was especially notable for several very large fires which burned in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, despite being outside of the normal fire season for that region.
The Station Fire, north of Los Angeles, was the largest and deadliest of these wildfires, burning 160577 acre and killing two firefighters since it began in late August. Another large fire was the La Brea Fire, which burned nearly 90000 acre in Santa Barbara County earlier in the month. A state of emergency was also declared for the 7800 acre Lockheed Fire
Lockheed Fire
The Lockheed Fire was a wildfire in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the Swanton and Bonny Doon areas of Santa Cruz County, California. The fire was started on August 12, 2009 at 7:16 PM PDT....
in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
to the north.
Conditions
Invasive, non-native vegetation dies and re-sprouts year after year creating an unnatural buildup of dead plant material. While periodic fires are natural, and many native plants depend upon fire to reproduce, the intensity and frequency of these fires is altered by the presence of non-natives.In Southern California, the normal wildfire season begins in October with the arrival of the infamous Santa Ana winds, and it is unusual to see fires spread so rapidly at other times of year. However, temperatures throughout the southern part of the state exceeded 100 °F (38 °C) for much of late August. The combination of high temperatures, low humidity and a large quantity of tinder-dry fuel, some of which had not burnt for decades, allowed some of the normal fires to quickly explode out of control despite the lack of winds to spread the flames. These conditions, along with extreme terrain in many undeveloped areas that slowed access to burn areas, made firefighting difficult.
Notable fires
Dozens of fires burned throughout California in August 2009. Some of the most notable are listed here.Alameda County
- The Corral Fire began on August 13 along Corral Hollow Road, outside the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation AreaCarnegie State Vehicular Recreation AreaCarnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area is a state park unit of California, USA, providing off-roading opportunities in the Diablo Range. Located in southern Alameda and San Joaquin counties, it is one of six state vehicular recreation areas administered by the California Department of Parks and...
, near TracyTracy, CaliforniaTracy is the second most populated city in San Joaquin County, California, United States and an exurb of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 82,922 at the 2010 census.-History:...
in Alameda County. It burned 12500 acre of dry grass before being fully contained on August 16.
Mariposa County
- The Big Meadow Fire began on August 26 in Big Meadow, two miles (3 km) east of El PortalEl Portal, CaliforniaEl Portal is a census-designated place in Mariposa County, California. It is located west-southwest of Yosemite Village, at an elevation of 1939 feet . The population was 474 at the 2010 census....
, just inside Yosemite National ParkYosemite National ParkYosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
. As of September 4, this fire has burned 7425 acre in the Mariposa County section of Yosemite, resulting in the closure of several trails, campgrounds and the portion of State Highway 120California State Route 120State Route 120 , in northern California, runs between the Central Valley near Manteca, through Yosemite National Park, and ends at U.S. Route 6 in Mono County.-Route description:...
known as Tioga Road. The community of ForestaForesta, CaliforniaForesta is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California, to the immediate west of Yosemite National Park's west boundary. It is located northeast of El Portal, at an elevation of 4314 feet ....
was evacuated but residents were allowed to return on September 4. The Big Meadow Fire is 96% contained as of September 6, with full containment expected by September 10. This blaze was the result of a prescribed burn gone out of control, leading some to question the judgment of Park authorities.
Placer County
- The Mammoth Fire started on July 16 and burned 643 acres (3 km²) in the American RiverAmerican RiverThe American River is a California watercourse noted as the site of Sutter's Mill, northwest of Placerville, California, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush...
Canyon and Mammoth Bar Recreation Area east of AuburnAuburn, CaliforniaAuburn is the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population at the 2010 census was 13,330. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history.Auburn is part of the Greater Sacramento area.- History :...
before it was contained on July 18. The fire closed the Foresthill Bridge, the highest bridge in California, for 2 days. It took 358 firefighters, 24 engines, and a helicopter to put out. The cause was undetermined as of July 18, 2009.
- The Foresthill Fire started on August 27 and burned 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) along the American RiverAmerican RiverThe American River is a California watercourse noted as the site of Sutter's Mill, northwest of Placerville, California, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush...
Canyon near the Foresthill BridgeForesthill BridgeThe Foresthill Bridge over the North Fork of the American River is the highest bridge in the U.S. state of California. It is sometimes referred to as the Auburn-Foresthill Bridge or the Auburn Bridge....
before it was contained on August 28. This fire is close to the location of the Mammoth Fire. The fire took over 100 firefighters, 10 engines, 3 airtankers (planes), and 2 helicopters to extinguish. The cause was undetermined as of August 28, 2009.
- The 49 Fire was a small but very destructive fire that began on August 30 and was fully contained by CalFire on September 1. Although it burned only 343 acre, it destroyed 63 homes and 3 commercial structures in the unincorporated area of North Auburn in Placer CountyPlacer County, CaliforniaPlacer County is a county located in both the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada regions of the U.S. state of California, in what is known as the Gold Country. It stretches from the suburbs of Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border. Because of the expansion of the Greater Sacramento,...
. The fire extensively damaged 3 more homes and 6 more businesses. The fire began along the east side of Highway 49California State Route 49State Route 49 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California that passes through many historic mining communities of the 1849 California gold rush. Highway 49 is numbered after the "49ers", the waves of immigrants who swept into the area looking for gold, and a portion of it...
, which led to the name 49 Fire. The fire quickly spread north and east. The fire spread so quickly that some residents barely escaped their burning homes. Auburn Municipal AirportAuburn Municipal Airport (California)Auburn Municipal Airport is a public airport located three miles north of Auburn, serving Placer County, California, USA. The airport is mostly used for general aviation.The City of Auburn owns and operates the airport....
was closed during the fire, which burned right up to the runway. The fire's cause is arsonArsonArson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. The arsonist lit a second fire just east of the original fire 20 minutes after the first fire. This added to the destruction and fire spread. This was the second fire to burn the area in 5 years.
Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito Counties
- The Lockheed Fire began on August 12 near the Lockheed Martin Space SystemsLockheed Martin Space SystemsLockheed Martin Space Systems Company is one of the four major business divisions of Lockheed Martin. It is headquartered in Denver, Colorado with additional sites in Sunnyvale, California; Newtown, Pennsylvania; Huntsville, Alabama; and elsewhere in the US and UK...
campus in Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County, CaliforniaSanta Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
. A total of 7817 acre burned and thirteen structures were destroyed, including four seasonal cabins but no primary residences. No cause has been identified. The communities of SwantonSwanton, CaliforniaSwanton, California, is a small community in an unincorporated area of Santa Cruz County on the Pacific Ocean, situated about north of the town of Davenport, on Swanton Road ....
and Bonny DoonBonny Doon, CaliforniaBonny Doon is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California. Bonny Doon sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Bonny Doon's population was 2,678....
were evacuated and a state of emergency was declared by Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant Governor of CaliforniaThe Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms...
John GaramendiJohn GaramendiJohn Raymond Garamendi is the U.S. Representative for , serving since November 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Garamendi was the California State Insurance Commissioner from 1991 to 1995, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995 to 1998, and the California State Insurance...
on August 14. State fire crews achieved 100% containment on August 23, at a cost of . Many hillsides burned by the Lockheed Fire had not burned since 1948 due to active fire suppression in the area. Some plant species endemic to the area, including the endangeredEndangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
Santa Cruz manzanitaArctostaphylos andersoniiArctostaphylos andersonii, the Santa Cruz Manzanita, is an endangered species of Arctostaphylos, limited in geography to the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. It grows in openings in redwood forest below 700 m.-Description:...
, propagate only after fire, potentially allowing these rare species to proliferate for the first time in decades. - The Bryson Fire started from a mobile home fire on Bryson-Hesperia Road in the Monterey County town of LockwoodLockwood, CaliforniaLockwood is a census-designated place in Monterey County, California. It is located east-southeast of Jolon, 1.8 miles north of the mouth of Tule Canyon, 3 miles north of San Antonio River, and 9.3 miles north of Bryson, at an elevation of 971 feet .Lockwood is in southern Monterey County and...
. It burned 3383 acre and five structures, including three homes, between August 26 and August 28. - The Gloria Fire began on August 27 along Camphora Gloria Road near the town of SoledadSoledad, CaliforniaSoledad, meaning "solitude" and "loneliness" in Spanish, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. Soledad is located southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of 190 feet...
. It burned 6437 acre in Monterey and San Benito counties, destroying a house and another structure before CalFire contained it on August 31 at a cost of US$4 million. The fire was set off by fireworks used to scare away birds outside of a winery and a criminal investigation is underway to determine who is responsible. - The Loma Fire (October 25–27), 485 acre (initially reported as 600 acres) began near Loma Prieta Way in Santa Clara County and spread to the Santa Cruz County area of Maymens Flat - Highland Road, Eureka Canyon and Ormsby. One residence destroyed with 160 structures threatened and evacuations in place for north Ormsby Cutoff until October 26. 1,742 firefighters with 4 injuries reported; cost $2.7 million. High winds contributed to the spread in the Summit area of the Santa Cruz Mountains in an area which had 6 inches (152.4 mm) of rain on October 13.
Yuba County
- The Yuba Fire was started after a Red-Tailed HawkRed-tailed HawkThe Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
flew into a power line on August 14, and burned 3891 acre before being contained on August 21 at a cost of US$12.1 million. Two residences in Yuba County burned and power lines transporting electricity from a hydroelectric facility were threatened.
Other counties
August fires also struck areas of Colusa, Lassen, Plumas, Santa Clara, Shasta, Siskiyou and Solano counties.Los Angeles County
- The Morris Fire (August 25 – September 3, 2168 acre) began near Morris Dam in the Angeles National ForestAngeles National ForestThe Angeles National Forest of the U.S. National Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, southern California. It was established on July 1, 1908, incorporating the first San Bernardino National Forest and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel...
. This fire is thought to have been caused by arsonArsonArson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
.
- The Station Fire (August 26 – October 16, 160577 acre, 209 structures destroyed, including 89 homes) started in the Angeles National ForestAngeles National ForestThe Angeles National Forest of the U.S. National Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, southern California. It was established on July 1, 1908, incorporating the first San Bernardino National Forest and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel...
near the U.S. Forest Service ranger station on the Angeles Crest HighwayAngeles Crest HighwayThe Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane segment of California State Route 2 in the United States. The road is in length, with its western terminus at the intersection at Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge and its eastern terminus at State Route 138 northeast of Wrightwood...
(State Highway 2). Two firefighters were killed on August 30 while attempting to escape the flames when their fire truck plunged off a cliff. The blaze threatened 12,000 structures in the National Forest and the nearby communities of La Cañada FlintridgeLa Cañada Flintridge, CaliforniaLa Cañada Flintridge is a small and affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States whose population at the 2010 census was 20,246, down from 20,318 at the 2000 census. According to Forbes, as of 2010, La Cañada Flintridge ranks as the 143rd most expensive U.S...
, GlendaleGlendale, CaliforniaGlendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
, ActonActon, CaliforniaActon was founded in 1887 by gold miners who were working in the Red Rover Mine. It was named after Acton, Massachusetts by one of the miners. Two of the best-known gold mines located in Acton were the Red Rover mine and the Governors mine. Mining of gold, copper, and titanium ore continued into...
, La CrescentaLa Crescenta-Montrose, CaliforniaLa Crescenta-Montrose is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California, encompassing those parts of the Crescenta Valley not in the cities of Glendale or La Cañada Flintridge. However, both the unincorporated area and the portion of incorporated Glendale...
, LittlerockLittlerock, CaliforniaLittlerock is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,377 at the 2010 census, down from 1,402 at the 2000 census...
and AltadenaAltadena, CaliforniaAltadena is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States, approximately from the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center, and directly north of the city of Pasadena, California...
, as well as the Sunland and Tujunga neighborhoods of the City of Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Many of these areas faced mandatory evacuations as the flames drew near, but as of September 6, all evacuation orders were lifted. The Station Fire burned on the slopes of Mount WilsonMount Wilson (California)Mount Wilson is one of the better known peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains, part of the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. It is the location of the Mount Wilson Observatory and has become the astronomical center of Southern California with and telescopes, and and tall...
, threatening numerous television, radio and cellular telephone antennas on the summit, as well as the Mount Wilson ObservatoryMount Wilson ObservatoryThe Mount Wilson Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson, a 5,715 foot peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles...
, which includes several historically significant telescopes and multi-million-dollar astronomical facilities operated by UCLA, USCUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, UC Berkeley and Georgia State UniversityGeorgia State UniversityGeorgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
. A 40-mile (64-kilometer) stretch of the Angeles Crest Highway was closed indefinitely due to guardrail and sign damage, although the pavement remained largely intact.
On September 3, officials announced that the Station Fire was caused by arson, and that a homicideHomicideHomicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
investigation had been initiated. Investigators discovered a substance at the fire's point of origin which they believe may have accelerated the flames. The Station Fire claimed the lives of two Los Angeles County firefighters who were killed when their vehicle left the roadway due to heavy smoke conditions, reducing visibility. The two firefighters, assigned to a fire inmate hand crew camp (jointly operated by the Los Angeles County Fire Department and California Department of Corrections ), had been searching for a safe escape zone to help evacuate the camp's inmate crews who were being forced to evacuate due to the Station Fire threatening the camp. As of September 15, $93.8 million (US) had been spent fighting the fire at 91% contained with full containment by September 19. It was 100% contained at 7:00 P.M. PST on Friday, October 16, 2009, due to moderate rainfall. Property owners and concerned citizens are demanding a formal Congressional investigation as to why the U.S. Forest Service did not contain the fire within the first 48 hours when it was manageable. At 160557 acres (649.8 km²), the Station Fire is the 10th largest in modern California history, and the largest wildfire in the modern history of Los Angeles County, passing the 105000 acre Clampitt Fire of September 1970.
San Bernardino County
- The Sheep Fire (October 3–10, 7128 acre) started near Sheep Canyon Road near Lytle CreekLytle Creek, CaliforniaLytle Creek is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County. It is about northwest of downtown San Bernardino and 10 miles from the cities of Fontana and Rialto. This small remote community is located in a large southeast-trending canyon on the eastern portion of the San GabrielMountains...
east of Mount BaldyMount San AntonioMount San Antonio, commonly known as Old Baldy or Mt Baldy, at , is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, and the highest point in Los Angeles County...
and west of the Cajon PassCajon PassCajon Pass is a moderate-elevation mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in the United States. It was created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault...
in the San Gabriel MountainsSan Gabriel MountainsThe San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
. Mandatory evacuations were in place for all WrightwoodWrightwood, CaliforniaWrightwood is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California. It sits at an elevation of . The population was 4,525 at the 2010 census.-History:...
residents October 4–6; the fireline held at 0.3 miles (482.8 m) from Wrightwood homes. Five structures had been destroyed in the Lone Pine and Swarthout Canyon areas including one residence. Eight firefighters have been injured but no fatalities have been reported. Below-freezing temperatures in the mountain areas helped fire crews in containment on October 6. Suppression costs : $7,977,000.
Santa Barbara County
- The La Brea Fire began near La Brea Creek in Santa Barbara County, inside of Los Padres National ForestLos Padres National ForestLos Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland...
. The fire burned 89489 acre of chaparralChaparralChaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
between August 8 and August 22, but only destroyed two structures—a cabin and an unused ranger station. The huge Zaca FireZaca FireThe Zaca Fire was a wildfire which began burning northeast of Buellton, California, in Santa Barbara County, California. The fire started on July 4, 2007 and by August 31, it had burned over , making it California's second largest fire in recorded history after the Cedar Fire of 2003. The fire was...
burned in the same region in 2007, and some of the same fire lines were used to contain the La Brea Fire. A propane stove at an illegal marijuanaCannabis (drug)Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
plantation inside the National Forest is believed to have ignited the fire. The plantation held approximately 30,000 marijuana plants, worth an estimated US$90 million. Prior to the blaze, seventeen other plantations hidden in the forest had been discovered by authorities, who destroyed more than 225,000 plants worth over US$675 million. No suspects were captured at the site, but investigators did find an AK-47AK-47The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
assault rifle, and warned the public that the suspects could be armed and dangerous.
Ventura County
The Guiberson fire in Ventura CountyVentura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
has burnt an estimated 8500 acres (34.4 km²), destroying two outbuildings and injuring two firefighters. Governor Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency. The fire, which started between Fillmore
Fillmore, California
Fillmore is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 15,002 at the 2010 census, up from 13,643 at the 2000 census.- History :...
and Moorpark
Moorpark, California
Moorpark is a city in Southern California. It was founded in 1900 by Robert Poindexter, presumably named after the moorpark apricots that grew in the area. The city has experienced a great amount of growth since the late 1970s...
, has caused the evacuation of almost 600 homes in Meridian Hills and Bardsdale
Bardsdale, California
Bardsdale is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, California, USA. It is located in the orange blossom and agricultural belt of the Santa Clara River Valley, south of the Santa Clara River and on the north slope of South Mountain. The closest town is Fillmore, which is on the north side...
; about 1,000 structures are threatened, in addition to oil pipelines in the area. On September 27, the Guiberson Fire was 100 percent contained after burning approximately 17500 acres (70.8 km²); the cause is still unconfirmed.
Other counties
Smaller fires also broke out in OrangeOrange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties in August.
See also
- 2010 California wildfires2010 California wildfiresThe 2010 California wildfires are a series of seasonal wildfires active in the state of California, USA, during the year 2010.-Kern County:*Bull Fire: Burned southeast of Tehachapi, California in July, destroyed eight homes and six outbuildings as of 31 July 2010.*West Fire: burned more than ...
- November 2008 California wildfiresNovember 2008 California wildfiresThe November 2008 California wildfires are a series of wildfires that began burning across Southern California on November 13. At least 400 houses and 500 mobile homes were destroyed...
- Summer 2008 California wildfiresSummer 2008 California wildfiresThe summer 2008 California wildfires, collectively dubbed the Northern California Lightning Series by CAL FIRE, were a concentrated outbreak of wildfires during the summer of 2008. Over 2,780 individual fires were burning at the height of the period, burning large portions of forests and chaparral...
- October 2007 California wildfiresOctober 2007 California wildfiresThe October 2007 California wildfires were a series of wildfires that began burning across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed and over 500,000 acres of land burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border...
- Old Fire (2003)
- Cedar FireCedar FireThe Cedar Fire was a human-caused wildfire that burned out of control through a large area of San Diego County, in Southern California, in October 2003...
External links
- Current Fire Information. CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire ProtectionCalifornia Department of Forestry and Fire ProtectionThe California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is the State of California's agency responsible for fire protection in State Responsibility Areas of California as well as the administration of the state's private and public forests. It is often referred to as The California Department of...
) - Current wildfire incidents from InciWebInciWebInciWeb is an interagency all-risk incident web information management system provided by the United States Forest Service released in 2004. It was originally developed for wildland fire emergencies, but can be also used for other emergency incidents .-Introduction:It was developed with two primary...
, United States Forest ServiceUnited States Forest ServiceThe United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass... - California fires, 8/31/2009. NOAA satellite image of Angeles National Forest (Station Fire), Big Meadow fire (northern California), and Mill Flat fire (Utah). Retrieved August 31, 2009. Higher res image 1280 x 1024
- West coast wildfire smoke covering US Plains and Great Lakes states, 9/3/2009. NOAA satellite image. Retrieved September 7, 2009. Higher res image 1280 x 1024
