Episodes
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
The Erskine Fire: Beyond the Lines
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
As of this publishing, crews continue to get a handle on the Erskine Fire in the Lake Isabella area of Kern County.
But as they do there are still concerns and challenges facing them -- hot, dry and windy weather; difficult terrain; safety for everyone involved including the public; and much more. At this point the response phase of the attack is slowly gearing down, and the recovery phase is gearing up.
Members of the Cal OES public information team were on the ground talking with leaders of the Kern County Fire Department, as well as Kern County Environmental Health about what they're seeing and what may lay ahead down that long road to recovery. Chief Information Officer Brad Alexander hosts this edition of the All Hazards podcast.
LINKS
LINKS
Tuesday Jun 14, 2016
Chargers' Stadium Became Home to Thousands of Fire Evacuees
Tuesday Jun 14, 2016
Tuesday Jun 14, 2016
In late October 2007, Southern California experienced an unusually severe fire weather event characterized by intense, dry, gusty Santa Ana winds. This weather event drove a series of destructive wildfires that took a devastating toll on people, property, natural resources, and infrastructure. During this siege, 17 people lost their lives, 10 were killed by the fires outright, three were killed while evacuating, and 140 firefighters and an unknown number of civilians were injured. A total of 3,069 homes and other buildings were destroyed, and hundreds more were damaged.
More than 350,000 households were evacuated at the height of the siege, meaning the evacuation could have included more than 900,000 people. Bob Kanaski was put in charge of the evacuation center at Qualcomm Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Diego Chargers. It was a brilliant move but not without its many challenges. Mr. Kanaski talks about those and how he and his team were able to meet them head-on and win.
Links/Resources
Read the complete Cal FIRE report on the 2007 California Fire Siege:
Version: 20230822