 |
| August 29, 2009. |
 |
| August 30, 2009. |
 |
| August 31, 2009. |
 |
| Spread of the 2009 Los Angeles Station Fire. |
The Spread of the 2009 Los Angeles Station Fire
According to the Incident Information System, the 2009 Los Angeles
Station Fire was the largest fire recorded in the history of the Angeles
National Forest established since 1892, and was the tenth largest fire recorded
in California history since 1933. The Station Fire, which started on August 26,
2009 at approximately 3:30 PM was very devastating and led to a few deaths,
multiple injuries and thousands of evacuations. Once the fire was finally
contained, the cause of the fire was determined as arson. The fire spread
rapidly over the course of the next few days.
Weather conditions on the day the fire was reported tended to be warm and
dry with light winds. Vegetation moisture levels were relatively low and
moisture content in chamise was over 60%, a critical level for wildfire. Upon
arrival, personnel found fire burning on the upslope side of the Angeles Crest
Highway. Terrain was extremely rugged and steep, making it hazardous for fire
fighters. Spot fires started to occur on the down slope of the Highway within
minutes and temperatures were beginning to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. By
August 27, there were multiple spot fires continuing to occur. Firefighters had
to leave the scene due to extreme fire behavior.
By August 30 and August 31, the Station fire threatened about 12,500 homes
in the San Gabriel foothills. The fire was about 5% contained as of August 31.
Two firefighters were killed the night before as their vehicle fell down a
slope while trying to escape the fire. As of August 31, two lives were lost, over
100,000 acres burned and 21 structures were destroyed. Extremely high
temperatures and steep slopes coupled with chaparral and dry grass fuelled the
fire. By September 1, 2009, 22% of the fire was contained with 127,513 acres
burned according to the Incident Information System.
As of September 26, 2009, 98% of the fire was contained. The fire was
finally fully contained around 7 PM on October 16, 2009. However, full control
of the fire, or fire out with no heat, lasted a few more months. The Station
Fire containment date was pushed back multiple times due to stubborn hot spots,
rugged and steep terrain, high temperatures and low humidity. As of November 5,
2012, fire fighters continued to mop up the 132 mile containment line that the
fire burned. According to the US Forest Service, by the time the fire was
contained, the fire burned about 161,000 acres. About 154,000 acres of forest
land was destroyed along with about 6,700 acres of private lands. The fire also
destroyed 89 residences, damaged 13 residences, destroyed numerous forest
service structures, destroyed 26 commercial buildings, killed two individuals
and injured many others.
As depicted in the map above, the 2009 Station Fire was devastating and
impacted a major area. On August 29, the fire was very close to a recreation
area. However, the fire was relatively small in comparison to its overall spread.
The fire spread very rapidly over the course of the next several days. The fire
resulted in the closures of major forest highways and roads the following day.
By September 1, 2009, the fire spread rapidly through the Angeles National
Forest. Thankfully, the fire didn’t flow much further into urban areas, as
depicted by the map above. Nearby hospitals were able to resist damages and
only one recreation area was really close to the fire.
Bibliography
Archibold, Randal. Weather Lends a
Hand Fighting California Fire. The New York Times, 01 September 2009. Web. 10
December 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/us/02fires.html>.
CNN. ‘Angry fire’ roars across
100,000 California acres. 31 August 2009. Web. 10 December 2012. <http://articles.cnn.com/2009-08-31/us/california.wildfires_1_mike-dietrich-firefighters-safety-incident-commander?_s=PM:US>.
Incident Information System. Station
Fire: Incident Overview. 26 September 2009. Web. 10 December 2012. <http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1856/>.
Incident Information System. Station
Fire Update Sept. 1, 2009. 02 September 2009. Web. 10 December 2012. <http://inciweb.org/incident/article/1856/9374/>.
Incident Information System. Station
Fire Update Sept. 27, 2009. 26 September 2009. Web. 10 December 2012. <http://inciweb.org/incident/article/9640/>.
PBS News Hour. Thousands Evacuate
as Calif. Fires Spread. 31 August 2009. Web. 10 December 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/weather/july-dec09/fires_08-31.html>.
US Forest Service. Angeles NF –
Station Fire: Burned Area Emergency Response Implementation: Frequently Asked
Questions. United States Department of Agriculture, 04 November 2009. Web. 10
December 2012. <http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3_020019.pdf>.
US Forest Service. Fire and
Aviation Management: Station Fire Initial Attack Review. United States
Department of Agriculture, 13 November 2009. Web. 10 December 2012. <http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/station_fire_report.pdf>.
