Ciolek Torrello California Wildfires Power Point Presentation

8/14/2019 Ciolek Torrello California Wildfires Power Point Presentation

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By Richard Ciolek-Torrello and Michael K. Lerch

Statistical Research, Inc.

Paper Presented at the 12th US/ICOMOS InternationalSymposium—Preservation in Peril

New OrleansMarch 12, 2009

Wildfires and the Protection and

Rehabilitation of Heritage Sitesin Southern California



Fire Storm in the San Bernardino MountainsOctober 2003



Mojave Desert

CoastalPlain

Transverse Ranges Major EnvironmentalZones and Mountain

Ranges ofSouthern CaliforniaPeninsular

Ranges



Ranching, Logging and Miningin the San Bernardino Mountains

Holcomb Valle Gold Miners



Federal and State Land

Management Agencies

• San Bernardino National Forest

(SBNF)

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

• California Department of Forestryand Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)



Watch tower, Talgatov Fox FarmPan Hot SpringsHistoric gold mining town of Belleville

(1860-64), Holcomb Valley

Bedrock mortars, Pan Hot Springs



Preservation Actions

• Inventory and identification

• Protection prior to the outbreak of fires

• Response to damage by fire and fire-related activities

– Evaluation of damage to sites – Stabilization and protection of sites

from erosion and recreation



Pan Hot Springs





Balanced Rock Survey

• Refuse Deposits

• Historic Roads

• Mining-related features

• Habitation sites

• Prehistoric Camps





Bonita Vista andGarner Valley FuelsManagement Area

Projects

Site Survey andRecording





Site stabilization following theWillow Fire



Site Evaluation

MonitoringBAER Crews



The “Old Fire”Crosses the Rim

of the WorldHighway

Contingency fire control line bulldozed



Contingency fire-control line bulldozedthrough Pan Hot Springs Site





Evaluating damageat the Pan HotSprings Site



Sierra Ancha Fire Analysis



Sierra Ancha Fire Analysis Study

• Prepared regional overview: – To assess potential for presence of fire sensitiveheritage resources;

– Analyzed records from a total of 798 archaeologicalsites and 342 archaeological survey and excavationprojects encompassing an area of almost 194,000acres;

– Gathered information on hundreds of unrecordedhistorical period site locations.

• Conducted pedestrian surveys:

– To determine presence of fire sensitive resources intargeted areas suggested by overview.

• Conducted GIS-study

– To depict confirmed locations of fire sensitiveresources and possible locations of other resources



Al Rose Cabin, last

surviving structure from thePleasant Valley War,burned down by lightningstrike, August 1998, during

Sierra Ancha Fire Analysisstudy.



CALFIRE Archaeology Program

• Identified 166 archaeological sites and 29historical buildings on properties underCALFIRE jurisdiction;

• Developed program to manage and protect

these heritage resources;• Provides archaeological training to CAL FIREstaff, Registered Professional Foresters, fire-

fighters, and resource professionals working inthe private sector;

• Trains staff and contract archaeologists to work

with fire fighters to protect heritage resourcesduring fire-fighting activities.

C l i



Conclusions• Collect existing available data to develop detailed

and comprehensive overviews of heritageresources;

• Identify those that are especially sensitive to fire

damage;• Develop measures to protect fire sensitive

resources;

• Provide locational maps of heritage resources tofire-fighting personnel when incidents occur;

• Cross-train fire-fighters to recognize and avoid

archaeological sites;• When damage cannot be avoided, develop

measures for evaluation and stabilization;

• Also, deal with archaeological sites that might beimpacted by stabilization or rehabilitation efforts

Documents

Ciolek Torrello California Wildfires Power Point Presentation