List of Resources: https://disasters.nasa.gov/news/california-wildfire-resources. [26], By October 12, the air quality in the city of Napa was ranked the poorest in the nation, due to high levels of particulates and ozone. Additional losses were to automobiles, commercial property including business interruption insurance, and to crops. [28] By October 16, the combined fire, which now also included the Pressley fire, covered over 48,000 acres. uncontrolled fire that happens in a rural or sparsely populated area. The failure to heed those warnings has prompted the Independent Institute to [9] These fires included the Tubbs Fire (which grew to become the most destructive wildfire in the history of California up until that time - fires in 2018 were more destructive),[1][10] the Atlas Fire, Nuns Fire, and others. Post navigation. Brown issued an emergency declaration for Solano County. Previous Previous post: Congressional Action Plan on Climate Change Applauded by Zurich, IBHS Next Next post: Damage analysis of 2017-2018 wildfires shows importance of mitigation. The wildfires burned over 307,900 acres (1,246 km), and caused traffic disruptions, school closures, hazardous air conditions, and power outages; over 230,000 people were forced to evacuate. Here's why it's so bad", "Firefighters taming Southern California wildfires as Gov. The October 2017 fires were the costliest group of wildfires on record at the time, causing around $14.5 billion (2017 USD) in damages, including $11 billion in insured losses and $1.5 billion in fire suppression costs,[2][3] surpassing the 1991 Oakland firestorm, which until then had been the single costliest fire on record. Once they have finished gathering their information and preparing their script, allow students to record or present their broadcast in class. 1,355 structures destroyed, 143 residential and 123 outbuildings destroyed, 25 structures destroyed, 55 structures damaged, This page was last edited on 17 October 2020, at 19:40. [57] The court case for the Tubbs Fire was superseded by the PG&E Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA) of December 9, 2019[62] and by the PG&E bankruptcy reorganization plan, wherein PG&E accepted liability for the Tubbs Fire. The October 2017 Northern California wildfires, also known as the Northern California firestorm, North Bay Fires, and the Wine Country Fires were a series of 250 wildfires that started burning across the state of California, United States, beginning in early October. On December 12, it was reported on that the fire had been sparked by an illegal cooking fire at a homeless encampment within the pass. "[11], In December 2017, strong Santa Ana winds triggered a new round of wildfires, including the massive Thomas Fire in Ventura County. In December 2017, strong Santa Ana winds triggered a new round of wildfires, including the massive Thomas Fire in Ventura County. To sign up for updates please enter your contact information below. [97] The fires burned over 245,000 acres (99,148 ha) of land,[70] and forced over 20,000 people to evacuate. strong, dry winds that occur over northern California, east of the Diablo Range. [47] In January 2019 CalFire determined the Tubbs Fire was caused by incorrectly maintained electrical equipment owned by a private landowner. Idea for Use in the ClassroomThis infographic shows the destruction caused by the 2017 California wildfires. Have students learn more about these winds by reading this article. [96] In addition, the fires have destroyed an estimated 8,900+ structures, and killed at least 44 people. The December 2017 fires forced over 230,000 people to evacuate. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Disasters. greenhouse gas produced by animals during respiration and used by plants during photosynthesis. [24][43] In the Fountain Grove area numerous homes, the Fountaingrove Inn, the historic Round Barn, and a Hilton resort were destroyed. [56][57] Also on July 1, PG&E funded the Fire Victim Trust (FVT) with $5.4 billion in cash and 22.19% of stock in the reorganized PG&E, which covers most of the obligations of its settlement for the wildfire victims. [24] Surveying the region, representative Mike Thompson of California's 5th congressional district said, "I fully expect this will be the worst fire disaster in California history. extremely strong, dry winds flowing from the Mojave Desert or Great Basin through Southern California to the Pacific Ocean. By October 15, 15 large fires burned 217,566 acres, destroyed 5,700 homes and other structures, raised the death toll to 40 and 100,000 people were evacuated. [28] Visibility issues spurred the Federal Aviation Administration to implement a ground delay program at San Francisco International Airport, and nearly 280 flights were canceled over a three-day period. [54], CAL FIRE Director Ken Pimlott discouraged premature speculation of causes, stating that, "The facts will come out when the investigations are done. The information is taken from CAL FIRE's list of large fires, and other sources where indicated. All rights reserved. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Affected Population: 19,412,073. Late on December 15, it was reported that the Skirball Fire had been 100% contained, at 422 acres (171 ha).Late on December 15, it was reported that the Skirball Fire had been 100% contained, at 422 acres (171 ha). [46] The Adobe fire merged with Nuns/Norrbom on October 12. [10] Historically, it has been estimated that prior to 1850, about 4.5 million acres (17,000 km²) burned yearly, in fires that lasted for months.[18]. Wildfires began burning in numerous counties across the entire state of California on October 9th. [16] This number includes economic harm to the wine industry, where several wineries in Napa and Sonoma were destroyed, and where many wine grapes were severely damaged by smoke. [49][50][51], News media noted reports of wind-damaged power equipment around the time the fires were starting. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. In December 2017, strong Santa Ana winds triggered a new round of wildfires, including the massive Thomas Fire in Ventura County. Related Posts. [17], According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2017 will be remembered as a year of extremes. The December 2017 fires forced over 230,000 people to evacuate, with the 6 largest fires burning over 307,900 acres (1,246 km2) and more than 1,300 structures. In total 9,133 fires burned 1,248,606 acres. Conservation, Earth Science, Climatology, Meteorology, Experiential Learning, Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography. For instance, although the fires were spread throughout the state, the most devastating ones were located near the coast.Ask students to identify which winds are considered responsible for contributing to the wildfires severity (Santa Ana and Diablo winds). Below is a list of all fires that exceeded 1,000 acres (400 ha) during the 2017 California wildfire season, as well as the fires that caused significant damage. These fires have prompted mass evacuations, over 190,000 acres and 1,500 structures have been burned. In the extreme conditions, shortly after the fires ignited, they rapidly grew to become massive conflagrations spanning from 1,000 to well over 20,000 acres apart within a single day. California Wildfires: Statewide Recovery Resources. The Rye Fire, was reported as a small brush fire at 9:32 AM PST on December 5, 2017, on Rye Canyon Loop in Santa Clarita, California. [21] By the evening of October 8, the Diablo winds were reported gusting up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) within the affected areas as over a dozen wildfires began to break out. [32] On October 29, the fire had burned 51,057 acres and was 100% contained. [55] The 2017 Tubbs Fire is considered to be one of the 2017 North Bay Fires. We cook our food with fire, warm our homes, light candles, roast marshmallows, shape metals, and create new energy – all with fire. [10] The total property damage and total amount of burned land were both surpassed by the 2018 California wildfires. Search by Incident Name, Year, County or Keyword. [15] In total, the Northern California fires killed 44 people[4] and hospitalized at least 192 others,[16][5] making this one of the deadliest wildfire events in the United States during the past century. [1] The wildfires broke out throughout Napa, Lake, Sonoma, Mendocino, Butte, and Solano Counties during severe fire weather conditions, effectively leading to a major red flag warning for much of the Northern California area. "[24], More than 10,000 firefighters battled the blaze, using more than 1000 fire engines and other equipment, with crews arriving from as far away as Canada and Australia. Reportedly igniting near Cherokee Road, the fire quickly expanded from hundreds to thousands of acres within a few hours of burning as it threatened nearby Oroville and surrounding rural neighborhoods. National Geographic Headquarters Maps and infographics are a deceptively simple, yet surprisingly sophisticated, way to introduce learners to critical thinking. Find the Total number of declared disasters by State/Tribal Government and by Year. [45], The Nuns Fire, centered in the areas to the east and north of the city of Sonoma, merged with the Norrbom fire on October 11. Have students compare the information from the map in the article to the infographic map of California. [27] Due to the poor air quality, San Francisco State University canceled classes, and outdoor activities were canceled in a number of cities, including Danville, Palo Alto, and Walnut Creek. Six of the fires became significant wildfires, and led to widespread evacuations and property losses. Although lightning strikes can cause wildfires, 85% of all wildfires in the U.S. are caused by humans: cigarettes, malfunctioning electrical equipment, trash burning, and poorly extinguished campfires are just some ways that humans introduce sparks into their environment. Learn more about the power and science behind wildfires with this collection of resources. Have students look at the map of California and ask them if they see any patterns in the location of the wildfires. https://recover2.giscenter.isu.edu/ClearLakeFire_CA, https://recover2.giscenter.isu.edu/GrassValleyFire_CA, https://recover2.giscenter.isu.edu/MendocinoComplexFire_CA, https://recover.giscenter.isu.edu/AdobeFire_CA/, https://recover.giscenter.isu.edu/AtlasFire_CA/, https://recover.giscenter.isu.edu/PocketFire_CA/, https://recover.giscenter.isu.edu/TubbsFire_CA/, Landsat Image Processing for Post-fire Analysis, Post-fire Mapping Support in the USDA Fire Service, https://disasters.nasa.gov/news/california-wildfire-resources, MODIS Thermal Anomalies / Hotspots (MOD14) distributed via FIRMS, VIIRS Thermal Anomalies / Hotspots I-band distributed via FIRMS, NASA/UAVSAR Napa-Sonoma Fire Rapid Response: October 2017, Impact of Northern California Fires Seen in New NASA Satellite Image. [27] By October 13, air quality in the city reached the "hazardous" level, the most dangerous on the Environmental Protection Agency scale. Vertical profiles of the near-field smoke plumes from the California Wildfires on October 13th, 2017, NASA’s ARIA Damage Proxy Map of Northern California using Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite SAR data. Below is a list of all fires that exceeded 1,000 acres (400 ha) during the 2017 California wildfire season, as well as the fires that caused significant damage. [29] Over a week after the fires started, flights continued to be canceled and delayed due to poor visibility from the smoke. It was the third-warmest year on record for the United States, and it was the second-hottest in California, bringing to the surface the question of long-term climate change and its contribution to the 2017 California fires. QuickFacts provides frequently requested Census Bureau information at the national, state, county, and city level. Potential Impact: over 10,878,000, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi 3 fatalities, 1,200 structures destroyed, 9 fatalities, 43 injured, 545 structures destroyed, 4 fatalities, 143 residential, 123 outbuildings destroyed, 25 structures destroyed, 55 structures damaged, 1,063 structures destroyed, 280 structures damaged, 2 firefighters injured, 1 firefighter and 1 civilian killed, 123 buildings destroyed, 81 buildings damaged, 3 firefighters injured, 6 buildings destroyed, 3 structures damaged, 1 firefighter injured, 6 structures destroyed, 12 structures damaged, 3 firefighters injured, 157 structures destroyed, 64 structures damaged, 3 firefighters and 4 civilians injured, This page was last edited on 16 September 2020, at 19:55.