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Catastrophe Report 4
July 8, 2003 - February 20, 2004
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Wildfires - United States
| Territory: |
|
United States |
| Region: |
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California |
| Date: |
|
October - November |
| Event: |
|
Wildfires |
| Impact: |
|
Fifteen large fires burned 750,000 hectares of
forest and brush, taking 22 lives and destroying 3,640 homes,
33 commercial properties and 1,141 other structures. Economic
losses are estimated at 3.5 billion US$, with insured losses
reaching more than 2 billion US$. |
| Summary: |
|
A combination of strong, warm, Santa Ana winds
and tinder dry vegetation contributed to the ignition and spread
of a number of major wildfires across California, many probably
started deliberately. Widely distributed fires threatened Los
Angeles as well as burning along the Mexican border and extending
into the neighbouring states of Arizona and Nevada. Two major
fires (named Paradise and Cedar) close to San Diego together
burned an area of a third of a million acres, destroyed 2,453
homes, and took 16 lives. Another huge fire (named Old) on the
north east outskirts of Los Angeles burned over 91,000 acres,
destroyed 993 homes and 10 commercial properties, and took six
lives. Most fires started in late October and many continued
to burn throughout November before coming under control in early
December. At one point, 40,000 residents of the resort of Big
Bear were evacuated as fires threatened the town. The fires
are the worst ever recorded in the state, topping the Oakland
fires of 1991, which took 26 lives and destroyed 2,900 buildings
at a cost of 2 billion US$ (economic). |
| Data sources: |
|
San Bernardino Fire Information Joint Information
Center
http://www.esri.com/jicfire/index.html
National Fire News
http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html |
| Additional sources:
|
|
National Fire Weather page
http://fire.boi.noaa.gov/
NOAA Fire Weather Information Center
http://www.noaa.gov/fireweather/
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