Central Valley Forest Fires Essay

The cities of calciums Great Central V in alley Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno and Bakersfield, which be together called the heart of Ca1ifornia, induce repeatedly entered Ameri give the gate popular husbandry and folklore. The cities have their own chivy departments and in times of need chevvyfighters and equipment index be taken on supplementary purpose. There have been kinda a few incidents of feeling fire in these cities and there unceasingly is a debate on how crisis management could improve and background the touch on of these incidents on the environs and human health.This paper explores flagellums posed by the timber fires in calcium and its surrounded lower central valley surrounded by Bakersfield and Modesto. The paper first describes the nature and impact of woodwind instrument fires and then follows to falsify lumber fires and what it does to the environment. Finally a world(prenominal) and body political environmental video recording is pre sented relating to the subject.A forest fire is a powerful force of nature. It croup kill people, animals, and points. It kitty write down homes and buildings. But it also is part of a forests immanent life cycle. Forest fires clean appear forest lands by burning dead leaves, plants, and trees (Simon 34-40). The dead and dried timber is undoubtedly unrivalled of the reasons why wildfires in the United States have been so devastating in recent years. tally to the National Climatic selective information Center, dryer than average conditions oer most of the country have playd to fire in excess of 9.5 one million million acres in 2006 and over 8.5 million in 2005 (Wagtendonk 3-17). These figures broke the old record of 7.4 million acres in 2000, and almost doubled that of the 4.5 million acres burned in 1960. The all-embracing drought, forest die-offs from insect Infestation and human encroachment have all contributed to the maturation in wildfires.But the primary cause of f orest fires offer be attributed to climate change. It has been the shift in ocean currents and stomach patterns that has brought astir(predicate) the extended drought conditions. Added to this be the warmer conditions and heat waves triggered by the increase in spherical temperature. This has led to a drying of the foliage and a prolific increase in insect infestation. As we have seen, these parasitic tree killing insects oft(prenominal) as the Bark overhang and Pine Beetle have moved to higher altitudes and more than northerly climates due to warmer temperatures (ReVelle & ReVelle 321-366). All these conditions have placed bang-up stress on the forests of conglutination America, making them ripe for forests fires.Battling wildfires is a challenging task because wild-land firefighters have to chair the rambling fires man they withstand intense heat, poor vision and dangers of the wilds. Thousands of regular firefighters and volunteers, planes, helicopters and fleet o f engines are employed by firefighting agencies aprospicient with different technologies such as shovels and infrared imaging, to engage wildfires. There are specially deft firefighters such as smokejumpers, who are employed by firefighting agencies to extinguish fires by parachuting in unreachable areas during the early stages of fire.Helitack crews are also employ by firefighting agencies to attack fires when landing is not an option. Thus the Helitack crew lowers firefighting equipment in such areas and then firefighters are able to reach the surface. Sometimes, water or retardant which tummy be up to 3,000 gallons is dropped by airplanes and infrared aircraft at a time, in a broad string for creating a line. The pilot program is allowed to see where he can land with the supporter of a tapdance dye. Sometimes, shovels and other tools are also used by firefighters to build firelines which reboot to a 3-5 feet path created by firefighters by clearing away leaves and branc hes.Wildfires can fiesta to several acres of land. How bad a fire can be is determined by topography, weather and furnish supply. When a fire breaks break through, it can stretch across acres of land and its own weather patterns can be created. The fire first staggers into the crown of the tree and when it gets more oxygen from below like a chimney, it is nourished and gets worse. Dry fuel away from the fire can also be ignited by the floating embers, thus it is internal to control the fire as short as it breaks out (McNamara).Fiscal stress came to atomic number 20 from three unambiguous sources natural til nowts, other events beyond the states control, and events that were induced by calcium citizens, and out of t water three sources fires have been among the most epitomisely. Three types of natural catastrophes have contributed to the fiscal stress. The drought of 1987-1992 (and which apparently has recurred in 1994) has cost calcium farmers more or less $3$4 billion t he Loma Prieta quake of 1989 resulted in close to $10 billion in direct and indirect losings, with net losses after federal aid cosmos about $6 to $7 billion and appropriatety losses from the 11 Oakland fire and the 1993 southerly California fires were about $4.7 billion. There are three exogenous events that are consistently mentioned in any discussion of the stresses on the states saving the recession that began in 1990 the cut in defense expenditures, including the closing of legion(predicate) military bases and the immigration of undocumented aliens.In October of 2007 wildfires broke out in Southern California (Carle 71-79). From Malibu to the Mexican border, over 16 screen out fires raged while being whipped by the Santa Anna winds. Thousands of acres were scorched, over 2000 homes destroyed and nearly one million people were evacuated. This was the largest evacuation in American history, exceeding even that caused by Hurricane Katrina. Over ninety aircraft and 6,000 fire fighters were knotted in suppressing the fires. The total cost of lighting the fires, including the damage inflicted, is estimated to exceed 1 billion dollars. Due to the forest fires compute cuts in 2012, lost fire fighters have added more to the difficulties confront by the firefighting department. For instance, when a wildfire broke out in June, 2011 north of passageway 180 in Fresno County, firefighters had difficulty controlling the fire.The fire broke out through thick grass and burned down oak trees in the area. It was a regular event for firefighters, who attacked the fire from two sides. Nearly 300-foot hose extensions were carried by them as they tried to circle the fire before it spread further. However, due to the firefighter budget cuts, there were only three fighters per engine sooner of four firefighters who normally worked during the wildfire season. Since there were only three firefighters per engine, it took long to get water around the fire.Due to the above me ntioned cuts firefighters are concerned about their first-strike capabilities to attack severe wildfire because they think that their work has been affected due to staffing cuts. According to a Cal Fire Capt, it became difficult to control the fire with a three-man crew due to the fatigue factor.Fire, which the captain hoped to keep to less than 10 acres, had stretched across 133 acres because of the shortage of the crew which cost $300,000 to extinguish. In 2011, the budget cut saved $34 million because 750 seasonal firefighters in California were laid off. It implies that there will be three firefighters per engine instead of four for handling thousands of feet of hose lines and for sharing the hard work to control wildfires. This has severely affected the extinguishing capabilities of firefighters because they require more time and zip to control the blazing fire (Hecht).The staggering one billion dollars attributed to the 2007 California wildfires is just the beginning. When a ll the fires and climate change related disasters are added to this figure. The center assumes unimaginable proportions. The National Climatic Data Center records seventeen separate weather related events occurring in the United States from 1998 to 2002, which cost over 1 billion dollars each. These events include droughts, floods, fire seasons, tropical storms, hailstorms, tornadoes, heat waves, ice storms, and hurricanes (Carle 44-60).The consequences of forest fires are the atmospheric emissions of various environmentally significant catalystes and solid particulates that contribute to local, regional and global phenomena in the biosphere. Pollutants emitted include atmospheric particulate upshot (I1) and gaseous compounds. Such as carbon dioxide (C02), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), nitrogen oxides, (NO) and azotic oxide (N20).Smoke contaminant due to forest fire events can represent an important public health issue to the community, sp ecially for personnel involved in firefighting operations. In addition, high levels of trospospheric ozone can occur at great distances from emission sources (Simon 85-90). The environmental effects of these emissions are related to the transport and sedimentation processes involved (Johnson & Miyanishi 25-39).The protection of homes and communities from the threat of forest fire depends on the proper give-and-take of wildland-urban interface, the area directly adjacent to homes and communities. However, current efforts to protect communities from the threat of forest fire are protecting homes and communities from forest fires. Projects that reduced forest fuels are often implemented far away from communities, in areas where treatment will do the least good. Considering the current risks and the limited resources in stock(predicate) for the performance of fuels reduction projects, individual projects and strategic plans need to utilize the best available science to develop the m ost effective and efficient methods for protecting the homes and communities (Johnson & Miyanishi 25-39).At the same time, focused fuels reduction in the wildland-urban interface is necessary to invalidate damaging adjacent forest ecosystems and wildlife habitat with poorly planned and unproductive logging projects. Wildfires can be prevented by not parking the vehicles on dry grass, never taking out burning sticks out of a fire, never using lanterns, stoves and heaters in a tent, by storing flammable crystal clear containers in a safe area and knowing the areas outdoor burning laws because to burn trash is a punishable crime. It is essential to contact a Ranger as soon as realizable when the first sign of a wildfire is seen. The area should be left forthwith by recognized roads or trails but if the escape road is blocked, it is important to go to the nearest stream or lake (McNamara).Wildfires which consume Southern California are extremely dangerous because they have affecte d a large number of houses they started abruptly and stretched across acres of land rapidly. According to scientists, the severity of wildfires is associated with the changing climate and it is believed that wildfires will become more coarse because of global warming (California Wildfires and globose Warming).The USA seems to have reached a tipping point the majority of citizens now accept the reality of global warming. National discussions have steadily shifted from whether climate change exists to what America should do about it. To be sure government and industry are pull their feet, hard. They argue that global warming is a natural (not human-caused) cycle that it wont be that bad that theres nothing we can do about it or that, most especially making drastic changes to quickly combat global warming is too costly to the nations economichealth to consider.According to a 2011 study, greenhouse gas is boosted by wildfires thus, global warming is belt alongd. The study found tha t the release of nitrous oxide from soil is boosted because of wildfires, change in the climate and nitrogen deposits which accelerates global warming (Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds) Concern for air pollution has led to a society-wide discussion about greenhouse gases touching every aspect of modern life from building design and light bulbs to elevator car emissions and planting trees.While states wrestle with the federal government over how much and how quickly to raise auto fuel economy standards (currently averaging 21 mpg), car-loving consumers are starting to vote with their pocketbooks (Johnson & Miyanishi 98-109). In addition to this, Water issues are particularly acute in the West the regions underground aquifer is being drained at a phenomenal rate, and increasing water salt is playing havoc with farming. Also, the West has witnessed a surge in vernal oil and gas drilling, in part because of government- approved industry exempti ons in 2005 to the Clean Water Act. An unlikely coalition of ranchers, hunters and conservationists is lighting this all-too- common sacrifice of health for cheap energy (IJWF 116-26).Wildfires are very dangerous because they destroy land and harm the environment. Fire ravages dry vegetation, burning everything in its way. downstairs prolonged dry conditions with even moderate winds fire can spread across a wide area very quickly, stretching the hint services and testing their ability to contain and manage the spread and to minimize risk and damage to people and property. Natural fires have traditionally caused all-embracing damage to grassland, woodland and forest. Wild fires can stir a ancient fear and fascination in most of us.Many have long been concerned about the loss of valuable timber to fire and about the effects of fire on soils, watersheds, water quality, and wildlife (Simon 96-121). Fierce battles over the environment have been a fixture of the American political lan dscape for over a century, and for business, this last argument has been a winner, whether the issue is pollution, dwindling resources or endangered species. This effectiveness rests, in part, on the dependable reluctance of us citizens to make sacrifices in their consumptive lifestyles.Typically, Americans support regulations and alter their habits only when environmental problems become undeniable, quantifiable and urgent. With global warming, that moment seems to have arrived. The U.S. citizens and the government are well aware of the environmental concerns and have from time to time turn to these issues. The environment protection agency (EPA) has been the forefront player in this touch and has formulated strategies and policies to control forest fire hazards. California is home to a great variety of wildlife habit and environmental protection can help save many of the endangered species in the lower central valley. flora CitedCalifornia Wildfires and Global Warming. Global Wa rming California Wildfires Influenced by Global Warming The Daily Green. October 23, 2007. Web. May 13, 2012.Carle, David. Introduction to Fire in California Berkeley, University of California Press, 2008. Print.Hecht, Peter. work out cuts mean fewer firefighters to fight California wildfires. Budget cuts mean fewer firefighter to fight California wildfires Societys Child Sott_net. Aug 1, 2011. Web. April 29, 2012.Johnson A. Edward, and Kiyoko Miyanishi. Forest fires Behavior and Ecological Effects. San Diego Academic Press, 2001. Print.Keeley, Jon E. Fire intensity, fire severity and burn severity a brief review and suggested usage. supranational journal of Wildland Fire (2009) 116126. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.McNamara, Melissa. Wildfire Safety Tips. Wildfire Safety Tips CBS News. February 11, 2009. Web. April 29, 2012.ReVelle, Penelope, and Charles ReVelle. The Global environs Securing aSustainable Future. Massachusetts Jones and Bartlett, 1992. Print.Seymour, Simon. Wildfires. N ew York Harper Collins, 2008. Print.Sugihara G. Neil, Fire in Californias Ecosystems, Berkeley University of California Press, 2006. Print.Wagtendonk Van, and Jan Wagtendonk. The History and Evolution of Wildland Fire Use. Journal of Fire Ecology 3.2 (2007) 317. Web. 12 Apr. 2012.Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds. Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds. June 8, 2011. Web. May 13, 2012.