WORST WILDFIRE IN COLORADO HISTORY STATUS: June 17, 2012 Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster...
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Transcript of WORST WILDFIRE IN COLORADO HISTORY STATUS: June 17, 2012 Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster...
WORST WILDFIRE IN COLORADO HISTORY
STATUS: June 17, 2012
Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of
North Carolina, USA
THE 2012 HIGH PARK, CO WILDFIRE
HIGH PARK WILDFIRE
Located 26 km (15 miles) West of Fort Collins, the lightning-caused fire had burned 85 square acres and destroyed 181 homes between June 6 and June 17.
More than 1,630 firefighters were working on the partially contained fire on Saturday, June 16th.
VERY DIFFICULT FIREFIGHTING CONDITIONS GET WORSE
Firefighting crews, working for 11 days just to get a difficult fire in a difficult terrain under 45 percent control, faced hot, dry, “sundowner” winds of 800 kph (500 mph) with temperatures of 90 degrees F on Sunday.
HIGH PARK, CO WILDFIRE ON JUNE 11TH
ONE OF THE FIREFIGHTING HELICOPTERS: JUNE 15, 2012
REFILLING FOR ANOTHER WATER DROP
EVACUATIONS ORDERED
At present, 3,000 people have received notices to evacuate.
BACKGROUND
Natural Phenomena that Cause Disasters
Planet Earth’s atmospheric-lithospheric interactions cause:
Wildfires
SCIENCE OF WILDFIRES
WILDFIRES are conflagrations caused by
lightning discharges (or acts of man) in wilderness areas close enough to one or more urban interfaces that they threaten
people, property, infrastructure, and business enterprise.
WILDFIRES are conflagrations caused by
lightning discharges (or acts of man) in wilderness areas close enough to one or more urban interfaces that they threaten
people, property, infrastructure, and business enterprise.
WILDFIRES CAN CAUSE HIGH-RISK SITUATIONS
Any wildfire, whatever the cause, can be devastating to people, property, infra-structure, business enterprise, individual livelihoods, wildlife, and the environment.
COMMUNITYCOMMUNITYCOMMUNITYCOMMUNITYDATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATIONDATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATION
HAZARDS: GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN UP AFTERSHOCKS
•HAZARDS•INVENTORY•VULNERABILITY•LOCATION
RISK ASSESSMENTRISK ASSESSMENT
RISK
ACCEPTABLE RISK
UNACCEPTABLE RISK
WILDFIRE DISASTER RISK WILDFIRE DISASTER RISK REDUCTIONREDUCTION
•PREVENTION/MITIGATION•PREPAREDNESS•INTERVENTION/ RESPONSE•RECOVERY and RECONSTRUCTION
POLICY OPTIONSPOLICY OPTIONS
THE WILDERNESS AREAS typically contain national forests, national parks, or resorts and the adjacent urban areas typically contain large, expensive homes.
THE WILDERNESS AREAS typically contain national forests, national parks, or resorts and the adjacent urban areas typically contain large, expensive homes.
WILDFIRE HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS)
• FIRE
• HOT GASES AND SMOKE
• HOT SPOTS
• BURNED OUT SLOPES (with increased susceptibility to insect infestation, erosion, and landslides)
WILDFIRE HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS)
• SUNDOWNER WINDS
• SANTA ANNA WINDS
• LOCAL CHANGES IN AIR QUALITY
• LOCAL CHANGES IN WEATHER
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR FIGHTING WILDFIRES
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR FIGHTING WILDFIRES
• FORECASTS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS
• MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES (E.G., REMOTE SENSING, TEMPER-ATURE, HUMIDITY, WINDS)
• WARNING SYSTEMS• INTERVENTION
STRATEGIES
• FORECASTS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS
• MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES (E.G., REMOTE SENSING, TEMPER-ATURE, HUMIDITY, WINDS)
• WARNING SYSTEMS• INTERVENTION
STRATEGIES
• DATABASES FOR EACH WILDFIRE
• COMPUTER MODELS OF WILDFIRES
• MAPS; ZONING • DISASTER
SCENARIOS• HAZARD AND RISK
ASSESSMENTS
• DATABASES FOR EACH WILDFIRE
• COMPUTER MODELS OF WILDFIRES
• MAPS; ZONING • DISASTER
SCENARIOS• HAZARD AND RISK
ASSESSMENTS
THE 2012 HIGH PARK WILDFIRE HAS ALREADY SURPASSED 2010’S FOURMILE CANYON
WILDFIRE NEAR BOULDER, CO
THE FIRST LARGE WILDFIRE IN 50 YEARS RAVAGES BOULDER,
COLORADOAN EXAMPLE OF NOT HAVING THE CAPACITY WHEN AN INFREQUENT
HAZARDOUS EVENT HAPPENS
SEPTEMBER 6-9, 2010
The largest wildfire in Boulder county in 50 years was started by
an automobile accidentally hitting a propane tank.
WILDFIRE IN FOUR MILE CANYON NEAR BOULDER
WILDFIRE NEAR BOULDER, COLORADO
A DISTANT VIEW OF THE RAPIDLY MOVING WILDFIRE
BUSES BURNED
ONLY A FEW FIRE FIGHTING HELICOPTERS
FILLING UP WITH WATER AT BOULDER RESERVOIR
MANY TRIPS WERE NEEDED
3,500 residents were forced to flee their homes to escape the fast
moving fire that burned more than 7,120 acres of very dry trees and
brush.
GOVERNOR BILL RITTER ANNOUNCED SUPPORT
The wildfire destroyed 169 structures, most of them in just
2 days.