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The Impacts of Wildfire Hazards on the Los Angeles Community

Jul 5, 2023 | 0 comments

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Jul 5, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Community Description

Los Angeles area is prone to identify artificial and natural threats of about 13 out of 16. According to Cannon et al. (2007), particularly Los Angeles is vulnerable to the destructive effects of wildfires. Due to the many threats that the area of Los Angeles faces, the significance of the residents’ readiness as a city cannot be overstated. The part of disaster preparedness is to be aware of different forms of disasters and hazards the city residents can be subject to when living.

 

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Description of the critical data required for an effective wildfire risk assessment for Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, fire is one of the hazards extremely powerful. The poisonous gases and the heat from the fires are more deadly compared to the flames. According to Westman et al. (1975), the structural or residential fires in the Los Angeles area and wildfires form part of the everyday lives of the residents. That is why it is important to have a familiar plan should a fire occur.

In Los Angeles, The third leading accidental death causes at homes are residential fires, with property losses annually estimated to be billions of dollars. Careless smoking, cooking, fault heating, and arson are mostly the cause of home fires. Many fire-related damages and deaths are avoidable with proper residential sprinklers or smoke alarm systems (Smith, 2004).

The wind conditions in Los Angeles are unpredictable and cause dry hillsides and dense brush and canyons. Cannon et al. (2007) further point out that this area is prone to the quick busting of flames, resulting in deadly wildfires or brush fires. Moreover, the fires can spread at an incredible speed, with their heat rising to thousands of degrees. Gordon et al. (1987) suggest the critical data needed for effective risk management in Los Ageless. They include:

  • Fire causes more deaths than all other combined natural disasters to Americans annually.
  • Careless smoking is the main cause of deaths that are fire related.
  • The main cause of home fires is cooking in the united states
  • Each year, about two million cases of fires are reported, with more thousands going unreported
  • During droughts, falls, and summer, wildfires are common when leaves, branches, and related material dry out, resulting in the susceptibility of things catching fire.

Risk assessment                                                  

1) Sources of information on wildfire hazard profile hazard

The extent of wildfire locations that will occur cannot be shown in wildfire hazard maps because each location of fire depends on the available fuel, wind direction, speed, and weather conditions at the fire occurrence. However, maps of wildfire hazards can show the geographic location where the wildfire took place and the prone areas based on the weather conducive and fuel availability to fires (Smith, 2004).

2) Fuel model maps

The fuel model key was obtained from National Fire Danger Rating System as a guide in the classification of fuel model determination. The key shows the wildfire fuels from Alaska to Florida and from California to the east coast. Therefore, general descriptions are provided in the following categories as observed by Westman et al. (1975):

  1. Heavy fuel is round wood vegetation of 3-8 inches in diameter
  2. Medium fuel is round wood vegetation of 1/3-3 inches in diameter
  • Light fuel is round wood and herbaceous vegetation with 1/3 inches and below in diameter

3) Topographic data

The steeper the land slope, the faster the spread of fire upslope. Using topographic maps, the areas are slopes between 41-60%, corresponding to steep, moderate, and low gradients In terms of wildfire spread (Cannon et al., 2007).

4) Critical weather frequency

This weather condition sets a combination of low wind and relative humidity, whose effects on fire behavior make it difficult to control and threaten the firefighter’s safety.

Impact of the Wildfire hazard on the Los Angeles community

Wildfires can cause damage to the infrastructure when buildings and structures are razed down and destroyed by fires. Furthermore, transportation is disrupted when roads are destroyed by fire. Gordon et al. (1987) point out that food supply is interfered with when crops are burnt down by fire and displacement of families where houses have been burnt.

Emergency medical care is hindered, the environment is contaminated when the fire reaches high temperatures, and hazardous materials are released into the environment. Moreover, citizens’ injuries and deaths can result, and computer-based information can be lost when computer equipment is destroyed (Westman et al., 1975).

References

Westman, W. E., & the University of California, Los Angeles. (1975). Vegetation conversion for fire control: A case study in Los Angeles. Los Angeles: School of Architecture and Urban       Planning, University of California, Los Angeles.

Smith, K. (2004). Environmental hazards: Assessing risk and reducing disaster. London: Routledge.

Cannon, S. H., & Geological Survey (U.S.). (2007). Emergency assessment of debris-flow hazards from basins burned by the 2007 Canyon Fire, Los Angeles County, southern          California. Reston, Va.?: U.S. Geological Survey.

Gordon, N. S., University of Colorado, Boulder., & University of Colorado, Boulder. (1987).             Psychosocial impact of disaster: The Baldwin Hills fire. Boulder, Colo: Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, University of Colorado.

 

 

 

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