California Wild Fires as Environmental Hazards - Essay Example

? California Wild Fires as Environmental Hazards Wildfires have been one of the most reported hazardous incidents that occur during the hot weather months. In California, wildfires are already seen as something that normally occurs and are mostly given attention to by the Fire Department, no matter how small or big. Almost every day, there are incidents that are related to wild fires, which are often monitored and reported in the website of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE. In one incident in Flynn Creek Road and Comptche Ukiah Road, 195 acres of land were burned, a residential building and nine outbuildings were destroyed, and the fire took around 75 hours before it was put out. Because of the large area that the fire covered, as many as 563 fire personnel, 39 fire engines, 20 fire crews, a helicopter, five dozers, up to nine water tenders, and four fire departments were working side-by-side in order to put a large fire under control. The management responses as well as recovery efforts were deemed successful because compared to other reported incidents in areas up to 400% smaller, the time spent in managing the fire in Flynn Creek Road was comparable in brevity, considering the large area where the wild fire occurred. California Wild Fires as Environmental Hazards Fires have been an integral part of ecosystems and human societies for as long as history has been known. When properly used, it can give a lot of benefits such as clearing lands for agriculture, oxidizing all possibly flammable organic materials, hastening the decomposition process of detritus, and inducing growth in forests (Omi, 2005). However, when fires are left to burn on their own and uncontrolled in rural or woodland areas, fired could gain enough power to destroy nearby buildings, acres of land, or large parts of forest areas, causing numerous damage not just in human settlements but also in the natural environment as well. Thus, it is essential that fires occurring in places that contain many flammable materials and things such as forests and woodlands be controlled as much as possible in order to prevent damages (Omi, 2005). One of the most well-known places often seen in news having reported incidents of uncontrolled fires is the State of California. Fire ecology has been most extensively studied in California, mainly due to its numerous and diverse ecosystems (Sugihara et al., 2009). Wildfires occurring during the hot summer months have been reported as a part of the complex interactions between the environment, the atmosphere, and the climate of California. Due to the natural occurrence of fires in its forests, many plants in California have evolved into fire-tolerant species, some of which even need the fires to complete their life cycles (Sugihara et al., 2009). Still, these wild fires are still needed to be controlled because aside from the potential dangers posed to humans and settlements, entire ecosystems could also get wiped out, disrupting the balance of nature. It is good to know that the number of ignitions reported each year is less important than the size of the area burned, due to the wild fires being controlled at the earliest time possible (Omi, 2005). The knowledge that wild fires are attended to by the Fire Departments give assurance to residents not just in California but also in other places that most wild fires are stopped before extending over larger areas. In one of the most recent reported and managed wild fires by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE, a large area had to be attended by numerous fire personnel in order for the fire to be controlled at the least time possible. In Mendocino County in California, an area 195 acres and enclosed by Flynn Creek Road and the Comptche Ukiah Road near the Comptche Community caught fire October 1, at around 2:20 PM (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, CAL FIRE, 2012). It was fully controlled October 4, at around 6:15 PM, 75 hours after it was first reported. Despite the large area where the fire occurred, it was managed properly and successfully because of the large number of personnel and the numerous departments that attended to it. The Fire Department that attended to the Flynn Fire incident was the CAL FIRE of Mendocino County. While the cause of the event was still under investigation, it can be inferred that the causes were mostly the same as in other fires. Wild fires that occur in California are usually the combinations of low relative humidity, long dry summers, and strong winds (Sugihara et al., 2009). It was possible that due to these conditions, the fire was able to spread up to 195 acres in a short amount of time. The fire was extensive in its range, but the reported damages were minimal. A residential house and nine outbuildings were destroyed, and only one person was reported to be injured (CAL FIRE, 2012). The whole 195 acres of land was successfully contained after 75 hours, through the combined efforts of the Comptche, Anderson Valley, Mendocino, and Albion Fire Departments, as well as the cooperation of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, and the Ukiah Ambulance. As many as 563 fire personnel were employed in controlling the Flynn Fire, 20 fire crews were actively putting out the fire at any given time, 39 fire engines, and nine water tenders were in use (CAL FIRE, 2012). The peak of the fire was on October 3, where up to 796 fire personnel, 31 fire crews, 44 fire engines, a helicopter, five dozers, and 11 water tenders assisted in dousing out the fire. After putting the fire under control and demobilizing most of the units, the remaining firefighters conducted follow-up, as well as mop-up and patrolling operations to prevent resurgence of the fire. Because the fires occurred in California, where wild fires are seen as something that commonly occurs, it can be inferred that residents near or within the place where the Flynn Fire incident occurred were properly informed, as shown by the low number of casualties despite the fire covering a wide place. Also, aside from the prompt actions of the local Fire Department, the combined effort of other agencies, as well as the large number of personnel that attended to the fire were able to subdue and ultimately contain the fire. If the numbers were any less, the fire could have continued over its reported duration. It is interesting to note that when compared with other incidents recorded by the CAL FIRE, other fires that occurred in places up to 400% smaller took around 24-48 hours for the fires to get contained, whereas the Flynn Fire incident took just over 75 hours. This shows how the efforts of all the people involved in the Flynn Fire incident show their efficiency and dedication in keeping wild fires under control. References California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). (2012, October 04). CAL FIRE - Flynn Fire Incident Information. Retrieved from CAL FIRE - Incidents: http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=758 Omi, P. (2005). Forest Fires: A reference handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc. Sugihara, N., van Wagtendonk, J., Shaffer, K., Fites-Kaufman, J., & Thode, A. (2009). Fire in california's ecosystems. Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press. Read More