California wildfires of October 2007 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids October 2007 California wildfires |
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NASA satellite photo (provided by NSPO, Taiwan National Space Organization) from October 22, 2007, showing the active fire zones and smoke plumes.
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| Location | Southern California |
| Statistics | |
| Total fires | 30 |
| Cost | At least $2.393 billion (2007 USD) |
| Date(s) | October 20, 2007 – November 13, 2007 |
| Burned area | 972,147 acres (3,900 km2) |
| Cause | Human; downed power lines; heat; vehicle fires, etc. |
| Land use | Mixed, residential, and wildlands |
| Buildings destroyed | 3143 |
| Deaths | 17 |
| Non-fatal injuries | At least 160 |
The California wildfires of October 2007 were a series of more than 20 large wildfires. They burned across Southern California from October 20 to November 13, 2007. These fires forced over 1,000,000 people to leave their homes. They also destroyed at least 1,500 homes and buildings. The fires threatened many more structures.
About 420,000 acres (1,700 km2) of land burned. This area stretched from Santa Barbara County to the Mexican border. Officials were worried these fires could be worse than the 2003 Cedar Fire. That fire was one of the worst ever. Firefighters struggled because there were not enough resources to fight all the blazes.
Six people died because of the fires. At least 16 firefighters and 25 other people were hurt.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven counties. President Bush also declared an emergency. He ordered federal help for the state and local efforts.
A long drought in Southern California made the fires worse. Strong, dry winds called Santa Ana winds also made the fires spread quickly. These winds might have knocked down power lines, starting some fires. One fire was started on purpose (arson). Another began when a semi-truck flipped over. The cause of other fires was not known at the time.
Contents
What Fires Burned in Southern California?
Many fires burned across several counties. Here are some of the main ones:
San Diego County Fires
San Diego County had two of the biggest fires: the Witch Fire and the Harris Fire.
Witch Fire
The Witch Fire was also called the Witch Creek Fire. It was the largest of all the fires. About 6,800 buildings, including 5,000 homes, were in danger. Hundreds of thousands of people were told to leave their homes. This was the largest evacuation in the area's history. It happened almost exactly four years after the Cedar Fire of 2003.
The fire started near Santa Ysabel. It quickly spread to Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, Poway, and Escondido. The fire then jumped over Interstate 15. It caused a lot of damage in areas like Lake Hodges, 4S Ranch, and Rancho Santa Fe.
Strong Santa Ana winds pushed the fire towards the coast. Officials worried the fire could reach the ocean. People in Solana Beach were told to be ready to evacuate. Many roads were closed, including Interstate 15.
People who had to leave went to places like Qualcomm Stadium and the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Volunteers gave out food, blankets, and even toys for children.
Harris Fire
The Harris Fire began at Harris Ranch Road near Potrero. It moved towards eastern Chula Vista. Many areas were evacuated. Evacuation centers were set up at schools and community centers.
Other San Diego County Fires
- Camp Pendleton Fires: Two fires started on the Marine Corps base. These were the Camp Margarita Fire and the Las Pulgas Fire. Evacuations were ordered.
- Coronado Hills Fire: This fire burned south of Cal State San Marcos.
- McCoy Fire: This fire burned in the Cleveland National Forest.
- Poomacha Fire: This fire started on the La Jolla Indian Reservation. It then moved onto Palomar Mountain. Firefighters were worried it might join with the Rice Fire.
- Rice Fire: This fire burned in Rice Canyon near Fallbrook. It moved towards Rainbow Heights.
Los Angeles and Ventura Counties Fires
Fires in these counties included the Buckweed, Canyon, Magic, Ranch, and October fires.
- Buckweed Fire: This fire burned in Agua Dulce and Santa Clarita. Communities like Leona Valley and Green Valley were in danger. Over 900 firefighters worked to stop it. More than 15,000 people had to leave their homes.
- Canyon Fire: This fire burned near Malibu, California. Many homes and businesses were in danger. About 500 homes were evacuated.
- Magic Fire: This fire started near Magic Mountain Parkway. It came very close to West Ranch High School and new houses. Welders at a construction site likely caused it by accident.
- October Fire: This small fire burned in Santa Clarita. It damaged several mobile homes.
- Ranch Fire: This large fire burned on the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. It affected the Angeles and Los Padres national forests. The fire threatened towns like Piru and Fillmore.
Orange County Fires
- Santiago Fire: This fire started on October 21, 2007, near Irvine and Orange. Fire officials said it was started on purpose in three different places. Strong winds made it hard to fight. Two homes and one mobile home were destroyed.
San Bernardino County Fires
- Slide Fire: This fire burned near Green Valley Lake. The communities of Green Valley Lake, Arrow Bear, and Running Springs were evacuated. It burned a camp owned by the Boy Scouts of America.
- Grass Valley Fire: This fire burned north of Lake Arrowhead. Firefighters struggled because they did not have enough help.
- Martin Fire: This fire began near Martin Ranch Road.
- Walker Fire: This fire was in the Ontario, California area. It damaged several buildings.
- Devore and Glen Helen Fires: These fires together caused Interstate 15 to close in the Cajon Pass. One fire started when a semi-truck flipped over.
- Little Mountain Fire: This fire threatened several homes and other buildings.
Santa Barbara County Fires
- Sedgewick Fire: This was the northernmost fire. It started on October 21, 2007, from a falling power line. It burned near Los Olivos. About 2,000 people were affected, and 800 homes were in danger. The fire was under control by October 22.
Riverside County Fires
- Roca Fire: This fire began in Aguanga. It burned east of Temecula. One home was destroyed, and one person was hurt. It was fully contained by October 22.
- Rosa Fire: This fire started in western Temecula. It caused evacuations and road closures.
How Did Weather Affect the Fires?
The fires happened in a very dry area. They were made much worse by seasonal winds called the Santa Ana winds. These winds blew up to 60 miles per hour. Temperatures were also in the 90s. This created the worst possible conditions for fires.
Southern California was in a very dry period. Los Angeles, California, had its driest year on record. It received less rain than Death Valley usually gets.
Santa Ana winds are warm, dry winds. They usually happen in Southern California during autumn and early winter. These winds are a type of föhn wind. They form when air pressure builds up in the Great Basin. This high-energy wind then flows down into the lowlands. As the air moves down, it gets hotter and drier.
The air is forced down mountain slopes towards the Pacific coast. It gets even hotter as it drops in height. This makes the air very dry, with humidity often below 15%. When Santa Ana winds blow, coastal areas can be hotter than the deserts.
When these winds blow through mountain passes, they can become as strong as a hurricane. The mix of wind, heat, and dryness turns the chaparral plants into explosive fuel. This is why the region often has large wildfires. For example, Santa Ana winds caused fires that burned over 720,000 acres in two weeks in October 2003.
On October 22, strong winds were expected to continue for three more days. This made firefighting very difficult. Officials even thought some fires were creating their own winds, like the Oakland Firestorm of 1991.
What Was the Impact of the Fires?
The Harris Fire damaged a major power line from Arizona to San Diego. This caused power outages in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and other counties. About 333,500 customers lost electricity. Most power was back on within 24 hours. The outages also affected areas like Ojai, Oxnard, and Simi Valley.
Many schools and universities closed because of the fires. These included California State University, San Marcos, San Diego State University, and UC San Diego. All public schools in San Diego County and in Tijuana, Mexico, were closed. Schools in Malibu, Orange County, Ventura County, and San Bernardino County also closed.
Thousands of people who had to leave their homes found shelter at places like Qualcomm Stadium. The Marines moved some planes from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to other bases. The San Diego Wild Animal Park moved some animals to its hospital to keep them safe.
The fires also affected sports. The San Diego State University football team still planned to play their game at Qualcomm Stadium. Many high school games were canceled. The San Diego Chargers football team moved their practices to Arizona because of the evacuations. They even considered moving their upcoming game there.
Images for kids
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NOAA hot spot map of San Diego County, October 23, 2007.
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Weather radar imagery of the fires on October 23.
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San Diego skyline against the smoke at sunrise, on October 23, 2007.
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The Harris Fire burning on Mount San Miguel, on the morning of October 23, 2007
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Aerial view of the Harris Fire on October 23, 2007, 12:05 pm.
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The Poomacha Fire: photo taken looking South towards San Diego from Temecula
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The skyline of Long Beach, California, looking east on the morning of October 24, 2007, with the sky filled with smoke.
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The Santiago Fire seen from Aliso Viejo, overlooking the city of Lake Forest, on October 23, 2007
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Fires burn across a hillside in Orange County.
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Evacuees at evacuation site Mira Mesa High School
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The remains of a home destroyed by the Witch Creek Fire
See also
In Spanish: Incendios forestales en California de octubre de 2007 para niños
