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California Fire Siege
Fire Events and Policy

and the Environment, Western Governor’s 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy
Implementation Plan and the Memorandum of Understanding for the
Development of a Collaborative Fuels Treatment Program.”
A multi-agency Joint Information Center (JIC) operating plan was developed
in conjunction with the MAST plan to coordinate information release to the
community and the media.

All national forests in Southern California began environmental analyses to
increase the scale and intensity of vegetation treatments to protect communities
from wildland fire.
October 21, 2003 marked the beginning of one of the most devastating periods
in Southern California fire history, the Fire Siege of 2003. During the ensuing
15 days, 14 major fires burned more than 750,000 acres and destroyed more
than 3,700 homes. Twenty-four people are killed, including one firefighter.
Before the last fire was contained, an interagency team was assembled to
chronicle the siege resulting in “The Story – California Fire Siege 2003.”
In November 2003, Governor Gray Davis and Governor-elect Arnold
Schwarzenegger created the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Fire Commission
to review the effort to fight the California’s 2003 wildfires, and provide
recommendations to limit destruction from future fires.

2004
In April the Govenor’s Blue Ribbon Fire Commission released its final report
which included 33 findings and 48 recommendations in five categories:
1) Jurisdictional and Operational Barriers; 2) Training; 3) Interstate/
Regional Mutual Aid System; 4) Local Building, Planning and Land Use
Regulations/ Brush Clearance and Fuel Modification; and 5) Communications
Interoperability, Information Technology, and Public Outreach.
Congress began funding hazardous fuel reduction projects. By 2006 more
than $181 million in federal, state, and local treated more than 96,000 acres in
California.
The USFS Pacific Southwest Region developed and implemented the
“FIREWATCH” program, utilizing excess military Cobra helicopters to
provide state-of-art command and control, infrared capable remote sensing, and
downlink capability.
The USFS Pacific Southwest Region developed an aviation training simulator
for agency and interagency cooperator pilots and international governmental
aviation personnel.
Beginning in 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger issued annual Executive Orders
to minimize the impacts of large and damaging wildfires.

The California legislature amended the Public Resources Code and
Government Code to require 100 feet of clearance around structures in the
State Responsibility Area and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in Local
Responsibility Areas. The law took effect January 1, 2005.
Many local governments adopt or strengthen ordinances requiring clearance
and removal of flammable vegetation and other materials.

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