I have researched and learned so much information about the state of California and its Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. My purpose is to inform and educate readers about the following topics: the history of the department, the jobs and duties of the department, and also the purpose of the department. History of California California was pronounced a state a September 9, 1850. Its capital is Sacramento. California has an estimated population of 37,253,956 people. It has a series of nicknames such as: Golden State, Land of Milk and Honey, El Dorado, and Grape State. California has a unique motto which is, Eureka, meaning I have found it. California Fire was born of the Conservation movement of the late 19th century. Newspaper stories
The National Park Service communicates with surrounding areas to help prevent fires. They also have specialists to investigate when a burn ban needs to be in effect, this is all depending on certain reasons and moisture content in the area Angie (2006). Firefighters fight wildfires by depriving them of one or more of the fire trio basics. Traditional methods include water drenching and spraying fire retardants to
Joan Didion in her essay, “The Santa Ana” and Linda Thomas in her essay, “Brush Fire” describes the Santa Ana in two opposing stands with similar moves. Didion's purpose in writing her essay for the Santa Ana is to inform her readers. She informs them about the Santa Ana, the effect the winds have on human behavior, and how they have to live with the Santa Ana. Thomas writes her essay to engage readers on the Santa Ana’s effect on brushes. She gives details on how the Santa Ana causes natural brush fires and the beauty it is able to create in the aftermath.
no surprise that wildfires are a huge issue in the western states. Especially on Indian Reservations. Two articles that focus on this issue are called Secretary Zinke Directs Interior Bureaus to Take aggressive Action to Prevent Wildfires, US Department of Interior & Western US Faces Wildfires Explosion by Kieran Cooke, Climate News Network. Both of these articles argue that wildfires shouldn’t become normalized and that something should be done to prevent and/or be better prepared for when wildfires occur. In essence these articles focus primarily on the amount of land burning and the effect it has on vegetation.
In October 2003, San Diego experienced the Cedar Fire that claimed 273,246 acres, 2,820 structures, and 15 lives (CAL FIRE, 2015). It gained the moniker, “The Hundred Year Fire” because another fire of its magnitude was not expected for another 100 years (San Diego Fire Facts, 2016). This expectation was short lived because four years after this fire in October 2007, San Diego experienced the largest wildfire in history (San Diego Fire Facts, 2016). This fire gained the name, “Witch Fire” (CAL FIRE, 2015).
"There was no damn horse fast enough in the country to keep ahead of that fire.” (546). In 1910, the US Forestry Service was in its infancy. Teddy Roosevelt had put Gifford Pinchot in charge of the foundling agency. For instance during the Presidency of William Taft, his term in office he denied the service and the manpower and resources needed to actually protect the growing quantity of land held in public trust. Then, without notice a drought-parched lands of eastern Washington, western Montana and northern Idaho, the greatest forest fire in U.S. history sparked a major change in public consciousness. This is the Big Burn of 1910.
California, the place to turn cant’s into can’s and dreams into plans. The same situation and scenarios apply to today and even over one hundred and sixty five years ago. Then and now are not so different, people are thriving or failing from the land of plenty, supplying themselves with knowledge, wealth, or skill to either spread their wings and take flight or crash and burn. Each state in the United States of America has a correlating nickname to either why it’s famous or an explanation of its history. California’s state name is The Golden State, and going all the way back to 1849 is why this was such an influential time for California and all of America. This is the period of the Gold Rush. Reasons why this event was so impeccable, to the development of California, are the years leading up to the discovery, the first findings, the journey, and so much more.
On September 26, 1970 due to power lines that were knocked down, and with the increase of winds near the Kitchen Creek area, the Laguna fire began. Only within twenty four hours the fire had already expanded towards El Cajon and Spring Valley, which is thirty miles away from the original spot where the fire began. According to the article titled, “ Laguna fire, September 26, 1970” published on the website WildFire Today stated that “The Laguna fire burned 175,425 acres, killed eight civilians, and destroyed 382 homes.” The Laguna Fire was said to be the second largest fire in Californian history. Within the same article a firefighter shares his experience to the news of The Laguna Fire he states, “The day the Laguna fire
According to history.com, “At the time, the population of the territory consisted of 6,500 Californians (people of Spanish or Mexican descent); 700 foreigners (primarily Americans); and 150,000 Native Americans”. As immigrants began settling in, the population of California territory grew exponentially. As stated in history.com, “the non-native language of the California territory was some 100,000” by the end of 1849. This was a hundred times was than the population in California prior to the discovery of gold (1848). In 1845, the population in the city of San Francisco was around 400, but by 1860, when the rush had decelerated, the population was well over 56,000.
Background. On June 12, 2011 in Sierra Vista, Arizona – a city near the Mexican border, a suspected human-caused fire was started within the Coronado National Monument Park, along the southern tip of the Huachuca Mountains in Southern Arizona and quickly shot through the canyons south of the city of Sierra Vista. Over the course of 14 days, the wildfire burned to some extent 100% of the park’s acreage; destroyed a total of 62 homes, 18 outbuildings and 4 businesses (Youberg & Pearthree, 2011) and mandatory evacuations were in effect due to the fires moving quickly towards the outskirts along with the danger of the smoke that blanketed the town. The fire was wind-driven spread and was aided by high temperatures and low humidity.
From the end of the Second World War to the present day, California strengthened its area as a political, social, and cultural trendsetter. California is also extraordinary than most other states because of its diversity in the people and climate. California’s diverse topographical features such as, the rainfall, temperature and sunlight vary throughout the state. The seasons also vary in California changing the areas climate. Since the beginning of European settlement in California, climate has become increasingly important in shaping the state’s economy (Osborne, 6).
During the 1840’s, the United States saw a huge increase in pioneers, or people who left their homes in the east to settle in the West. Some people saw California as a place where they would be free to live in a fully
On 05/05/2018 at approximately 2121 hours the Merced City fire department responded to a residential structure fire at 456 Brimmer Road, Merced, CA 95341. Fire department personnel arrived on scene and discovered the rear side of the residence was engulfed flames. In the course of attempting to control the fire, firefighters were able to see grow lights and marijuana in the rooms of the residence. The fire department contacted the Merced Police Department to investigate. Merced Police Officers contacted the Merced Area Gang and Narcotic Enforcement Team (M.A.G.N.E.T.) Sergeant Rodney Court.
“To many Californians the mention of January 24, 1948, conveys no special meaning, nor is that date widely commemorated in the state. Yet it had a special significance in the history of California, for on that day James Marshall, a moody carpenter from Missouri, discovered the first gold nuggets that resulted in a stampede known as the California Gold Rush.” The California Gold Rush drew in thousands of white settlers, all seeking a better life and a chance
An understanding of how fires, wildfires in particular, work was a fundamental part in learning how to fight fires properly. This understanding entailed knowing what makes a fire a fire, what could cause a fire, what hinders and aids a fire’s growth, what different types of fire there are, and the characteristics of said types. Without the basic understanding of these things, it would have made the evolution of aerial firefighting next to impossible.
Humans have been changing the Western forests' fire system since the settlement by the Europeans and now we are experiencing the consequences of those changes. During the summer of 2002, 6.9 million acres of forests was burnt up in the West (Wildland Fires, 1). This figure is two times the ten year annual average, and it does not look like next summer will be any better (Wildfire Season, 1).