Page 15 - lw3443

California Fire Siege
Prelude to the Siege

May 10, 2007
The Island Fire started on Santa Catalina Island, 26 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. Extreme fire
behavior was reported with spotting 1/4 to 1/2 mile in advance of the head of the fire due to low relative
humidity, high erratic winds and low fuel moistures. More than 3,800 people were evacuated from
the island via the Catalina Island Express to the city of Long Beach. While 4,750 acres were burned,
threatening more than 900 structures, only one residence and five outbuildings were destroyed; four
outbuildings were damaged.

June 20, 2007
USFS issued a Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory for low fuel moisture and potentially severe fire behavior.

June 24, 2007
An unattended campfire in the area southwest of South Lake Tahoe set off the destructive Angora
Fire. Driven by strong erratic winds in heavy timber with a large dead and down component, the
burn exhibited extreme fire behavior causing the evacuations of several subdivisions within the first
burning period. The fire was contained on July 2 at 3,100 acres, after destroying 242 residences and 67
outbuildings.

July 4, 2007
The Zaca Fire started in the rugged, inaccessible area 15 miles northeast of Buellton, in Santa Barbara
County. High temperatures and low relative humidity combined with steep terrain hampered control
efforts. Fuel moisture levels were at levels typically seen in late August or September. The Zaca Fire, the
second largest fire in California history. was contained at 240,207 acres two months after it started.

July 25, 2007
Following the Angora Fire, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nevada Governor Jim
Gibbons signed a joint memorandum of understanding which established the California-Nevada Tahoe
Basin Fire Commission. The joint fire commission was charged to conduct a comprehensive overview of
forest management in the Lake Tahoe Basin, including effective fuels management, to help prevent fires
from starting or escalating.

July 30, 2007
CAL FIRE issued a Fire Behavior Alert discussing the potential for extreme fire behavior this season,
based on low fuel moisture conditions.
Summer weather was seasonably dry with very little precipitation. By October, Southern California remained dry,
with much of San Diego and desert regions near the border with Baja California extremely dry. All these factors
increased the potential for severe fires in the fall.

15