Fire Conditions Across California

The August 2009 California wildfires have burned more than 322,000 acres (130,300 hectares) of land since the beginning of the month, destroying 64 houses, hundreds of structures and killing two people. Many of these wildfires continue to burn into the month of September. Although 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 still-burning Station Fire, north of Los Angeles, is the largest and deadliest of these wildfires, having burned more than 148,000 acres (58,300 ha) and killed two firefighters since it began in late August. Another large fire was the La Brea Fire, which burned nearly 90,000 acres (36,400 ha) in Santa Barbara County earlier in the month. A state of emergency was also declared for the 7,800 acre (3,150 ha) Lockheed Fire in Santa Cruz County to the north.

Sporadic fires are normal throughout California in the summer and fall as temperatures rise and rainfall drops, causing vegetation to die off and provide fuel for combustion. Three years of drought amplified these effects, making already fire-prone California ripe for wildfires. These fires may be ignited by natural sources like lightning, or through human activity.

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 impeded 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.

* The Corral Fire began on 13 August along Corral Hollow Road, outside the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area, near Tracy in Alameda County. It burned 12,500 acres (5,060 ha) of dry grass before being fully contained on 16 August.[2][3]

Mariposa County

* The Big Meadow Fire began on 26 August in Big Meadow, two miles east of El Portal, just inside Yosemite National Park. This fire has burned 6,283 acres (2,542 ha) in the Mariposa County section of Yosemite, resulting in the closure of several trails, campgrounds and the portion of State Highway 120 known as Tioga Road. The community of Foresta has also been evacuated. The Big Meadow Fire is 60% contained as of 2 September, with full containment expected by 10 September.[4] 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 49 Fire was a small but very destructive fire that began on 30 August and was fully contained by CalFire on 1 September. Although it burned only 343 acres (139 ha), it destroyed 63 homes and 3 commercial structures in the town of Auburn in Placer County. The cause of this fire, which began alongside State Highway 49 in Auburn, is still under investigation.

Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito Counties

* The Lockheed Fire began on 12 August near the Lockheed Martin Space Systems campus in Santa Cruz County.[8][9] A total of 7,817 acres (3,163 ha) burned and thirteen structures were destroyed, including four seasonal cabins but no primary residences. No cause has been identified.[10] The communities of Swanton and Bonny Doon were evacuated and a state of emergency was declared by Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi on 14 August.[11] State fire crews achieved 100% containment on 23 August, at a cost of $26.6 million (USD).[10] 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 endangered Santa Cruz manzanita, 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 Lockwood. It burned 3,383 acres (1,369 ha) and five structures, including three homes, between 26 August and 28 August.[13][14]
* The Gloria Fire began on 27 August along Camphora Gloria Road near the town of Soledad. It burned 6,437 acres (2,605 ha) in Monterey and San Benito Counties, destroying a house and another structure before CalFire contained it on 31 August at a cost of $4 million (USD).[15] 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.

Yuba County

* The Yuba Fire was started after a Red-Tailed Hawk flew into a power line on 14 August, and burned 3,891 acres (1,611 ha) before being contained on 21 August at a cost of $12.1 million (USD). Two residences in Yuba County burned and power lines transporting electricity from a hydroelectric facility were threatened.[17][18]

Other counties

Other areas of Colusa, Lassen, Plumas, Santa Clara, Shasta, and Siskiyou counties also burned in August.

Southern California

* The Morris Fire began on 25 August near Morris Dam in the Angeles National Forest. It has burned 2,168 acres (877 ha) and is 95% contained as of 2 September, with full containment expected on 3 September.[19] This fire is thought to have been caused by arson.[20]

* The Station Fire started on 26 August near the U.S. Forest Service ranger station on the Angeles Crest Highway (State Highway 2).[21][22] As of 3 September, it has burned 144,743 acres (58,575 ha) in the Angeles National Forest, destroying nearly 100 structures, including 64 homes.[23] Two firefighters were killed on 30 August when their fire truck plunged off a cliff while attempting to escape the flames.[24] The blaze threatens 12,000 structures in the National Forest and nearby communities like La Cañada Flintridge, Glendale, Acton, La Crescenta, Pasadena, Littlerock and Altadena, as well as the Sunland and Tujunga neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles.[25] Many of these areas faced mandatory evacuations as the flames drew near, but as of 2 September, most evacuation orders have been lifted.[23] The Station Fire has been burning on the slopes of Mount Wilson, threatening numerous television, radio and cellular telephone antennas on the summit, as well as the Mount Wilson Observatory, which includes several historically significant telescopes and multimillion-dollar astronomical facilities operated by UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley and Georgia State University.[26] The cause of the fire was arson.[27] As of 2 September, improving weather conditions have helped firefighters contain 28% of the fire at a cost of $21 million (USD), although the fire remains active, especially on the eastern front.[28] U.S. Forest Service firefighters expect the fire to be fully contained by 15 September.

Santa Barbara County

* The La Brea Fire began near La Brea Creek in Santa Barbara County, inside of Los Padres National Forest.[29] A propane stove at an illegal marijuana plantation inside the National Forest is believed to have ignited the fire on 8 August. The fire burned 89,489 acres (36,215 ha) of chaparral but only destroyed two structures -- a cabin and an unused ranger station -- before being contained on 22 August.[30] The huge Zaca Fire burned in the same region in 2007, and some of the same fire lines were used to contain the La Brea Fire.[31] The plantation held approximately 30,000 marijuana plants, worth an estimated $90 million (USD). Earlier in the year, seventeen other plantations hidden in the forest had been discovered by authorities, who destroyed more than 225,000 plants worth over $675 million (USD). No suspects were captured at the site, but investigators did find an AK-47, leading them to warn the public that the suspects could be armed and dangerous.