The Social Geographies of The Social Geographies of Wildfire Risk and Vulnerabilty Wildfire Risk and Vulnerabilty

in Southern Californiain Southern California

Econversations, Friends of the Colorado Lagoon, Earth Day Econversations, Friends of the Colorado Lagoon, Earth Day 20102010

Christine M. RodrigueChristine M. RodrigueDepartment of GeographyDepartment of Geography

Environmental Science & Policy ProgramEnvironmental Science & Policy Program

Emergency Services Management ProgramEmergency Services Management Program

California State University, Long BeachCalifornia State University, Long Beach

Chaparral doing its thingChaparral doing its thing

Map of Mediterranean climatesMap of Mediterranean climates

Mediterranean climate graph (Los Mediterranean climate graph (Los Angeles)Angeles)

ChaparralChaparral

Chaparral: Post fire stump Chaparral: Post fire stump sproutingsprouting

California sage scrubCalifornia sage scrub

Spanish Governor de ArrillagaSpanish Governor de Arrillaga"/With attention to the widespread damage which results to the public from the burning of the fields, customary up to now among both Christian and Gentile Indians in this country, whose childishness has been unduly tolerated, and as a consequence of various complaints that I have had of such abuse, I see myself required to have the foresight to prohibit for the future... all kinds of burning, not only in the vicinity of the towns but even at the most remote distances....Therefore I order and command all commandantes of the presidios in my charge to do their duty and watch with the greatest earnestness to take whatever measures they may consider requisite and necessary to uproot this very harmful practice of setting fire to pasture lands [and] exercize equal vigilance in trying to advise the Christian Indians and the Gentiles of the neighboring rancherias about this proclamation and impressing upon them that those who commit such an offense will be punished, and in case some burning occurs, they are to try immediately to take the most appropriate means to stop the fire....I beg and charge the Reverend fathers, priests of the missions, that they do their part in instructing the Christian Indians not to commit such transgressions....I order that this decision of mine be published by proclamation in the presidios as well as the missions and towns of this province which is in my charge....with the full understanding that whatever lack of observance may be noticed in this matter [which is] of such great interest will be worthy of the most severe punishment/." May 31, 1793Jose Joaquin de Arrillaga

Living in the hills becomes chic!Living in the hills becomes chic!

Living in the hills is not such a good idea:Living in the hills is not such a good idea:Fire frequency in western L.A. CountyFire frequency in western L.A. County

Chaparral: Chaparral: Post fire potential type conversionPost fire potential type conversion

California FAIR Plan assigned risk California FAIR Plan assigned risk poolpool

The fire triangleThe fire triangle

Home ignition zoneHome ignition zone

Home ignition zoneHome ignition zone

Firewise CommunitiesFirewise Communities

Some resources:Some resources:

• Firewise Communities. <http://www.firewise.org>Firewise Communities. <http://www.firewise.org>

• Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program of the Rocky Mountain Research Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program of the Rocky Mountain Research Station at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. Station at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. <http://www.firelab.org/><http://www.firelab.org/>

• Jack Cohen's publication list on the Firewise web site. Jack Cohen's publication list on the Firewise web site. <http://www.firewise.org/resources/wui_hir.htm><http://www.firewise.org/resources/wui_hir.htm>

• Jon Keeley's web page at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center. Jon Keeley's web page at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center. <http://www.werc.usgs.gov/person.aspx?personID=170><http://www.werc.usgs.gov/person.aspx?personID=170>

• Richard Minnich's web page at UC Riverside's Department of Earth Sciences. Richard Minnich's web page at UC Riverside's Department of Earth Sciences. <http://www.earthscience.ucr.edu/minnich.html><http://www.earthscience.ucr.edu/minnich.html>

• Max Moritz's web page at UC Berkeley Department of Environmental Science, Max Moritz's web page at UC Berkeley Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. Policy, and Management. <http://nature.berkeley.edu/moritzlab/moritzcv.htm><http://nature.berkeley.edu/moritzlab/moritzcv.htm>

• Rodrigue, C.M. 1993. Home with a view: Chaparral fire hazard and the social Rodrigue, C.M. 1993. Home with a view: Chaparral fire hazard and the social geographies of risk and vulnerability. geographies of risk and vulnerability. The California GeographerThe California Geographer 33: 105- 33: 105-118. <http://www.csulb.edu/~rodrigue/fire.html>118. <http://www.csulb.edu/~rodrigue/fire.html>

• rodrigue@csulb.edurodrigue@csulb.edu