Lab Assignment #7: Mapping the Station Fire

Reference Map of the Station Fire Perimeter

Thematic Map: Populated Areas and Watersheds in relation to the Station Fire

Report:

It has been concluded that “The Station fire is the largest blaze in Los Angeles County's modern history”. [2] The fire was caused by arson on the afternoon of August 26^th, 2009 in an area of the Angeles National Forest that had not experienced a major fire in over 60 years. It was named the “Station Fire” because the fire broke out near a mountain peak which contained several radio and television transmission towers. The aftermath of the Station Fire included 160,577 burned acres, 64 destroyed structures, and the deaths of two firemen. [1]

The first map shows a general reference map of the growth of the station fire over a period of five days. It is helpful to observe the perimeter of the fire with respect to the Los Angeles County boundary in order to put its location into perspective. Other features shown on this map are major highways, which help to show how the station fire perimeter is connected to more populated areas, and major bodies of water, which could be potential water sources for firefighters. Another feature of this map is elevation in the form of hillshade map formed from a digital elevation model. Examining elevation is imperative to the analysis of wildfires because drastic changes in elevation corresponding with steep slopes tend to be at higher risks for the spread of fire. [3]

The thematic map demonstrates the relationship between the station fire perimeter, populated areas, and watersheds. Following a major wildfire it is important to study its effect on water quality due to layers of ash. This layer of ash causes the soil to become semi-impervious. Therefore when the first rain event occurs, all of the contaminants in the ash layer are washed into the nearby watershed and carried to populated areas. [5] This thematic map may be used to determine which watersheds near the station fire perimeter flow towards highly populated areas. Luckily most of the rivers and streams do not flow directly through this perimeter but the ash cloud likely affected many of the surrounding watersheds.

Other conclusions that could be derived from this thematic map is the amount of property damage that occurred during the Station Fire. It may be assumed that property area directly correlates to dense populations. If the thematic map is examined it can be concluded that the majority of Los Angeles residents were not at risk to property loss. However, fire officials issued evacuation notices for residents of the 10,000 homes under threat. Although many of the structures were saved from the fire, surrounding homes were still subject to severe property damage. [4]

Hopefully California officials will examine maps such as these and observe important trends to prevent wildfires in the future in order to protect residents, structures, and drinking water quality. There are several ways in which fire hazards can be reduced. If dry flammable vegetation is cleared from these areas, there will be less fuel for the fire. Also special precautions should be used when the Santa Ana winds are active and fire risk is high.

  

References:

[1] "Station Fire Incident Overview." Incident Information System (2009): <http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1856>.

[2] Bloomekatz, Ari. "Station fire is largest in L.A. County's modern history." Los Angeles Times (2009): <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/station-fire-is-largest-in-la-county-history.html>.

[3] Jones, L.M. "Hazard Science in Support of Community Resiliency: The Response of the Multi Hazards Demonstration Project to the 2009 Station Fire in Los Angeles County." American Geophysical Union. (2009).

[4] Marciano, Rob. "'Angry fire' roars across 100,000 California acres." CNN (2009): <http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/31/california.wildfires/index.html>.

 [5] Rust, Brad. "Station Fire Burn Area Emergency Response Hazmat Assessment Report." United States Department of Agriculture: Forest Service (2009): <www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/station/BAER/SpecialistReports/HazmatAssessmentReport_PublicRelease_StationBAER.pdf>.