by pandiapen

Created on: February 17, 2009   Last Updated: June 19, 2009

Once again, the news from Southern California is about devastating wildfires. The fire in Montecito was barely under control when several even larger fires erupted in the Los Angeles area. As of this writing, thousands of acres have been burned and hundreds of homes and structures destroyed. Blessedly, there has been no loss of life.

I've lived in California my entire life, and fires are an integral part of my memories and perception. I remember the Bel Air fire of 1961 in the same way that many people remember landmark events like JFK's assassination. I was just six years old, but the round-the-clock news coverage made an impression on me. According to the Los Angeles Examiner, "It exploded at time into dreaded fire storms' cyclonic infernos with an intense heat that created its own fierce winds, similar to the devastation which struck many cities during heavy bombings in World War II." It was at that time the worst fire in the history of Los Angeles.

In the Bel Air fire, the common elements of wildfire disaster were present: heat, high winds, low humidity, dry brush, human habitation. As flames swept through rugged canyons, the homes of celebrities and the wealthy were threatened and destroyed. When the fire was extinguished after three days, 6000 acres had burned and 500 structures were destroyed.

The wind that blows in Southern California in the fall and spring is called the Santa Ana. Usually hot and dry, it sweeps down from the deserts in the east. In the fall, a lack of rainfall and persistent low humidity result in extremely dry vegetation, providing ample fuel for wildfires. Outside of the state, the common perception is that earthquake is the greatest threat. Large earthquakes are few and far between, but the fires return every year when the Santa Ana winds blow.

Those are the earth, wind and fire components of fire disaster. The fourth component is people. The human factor makes wildfires somewhat unique among natural disaster. Humans often start fires, both accidentally and on purpose. When the Santa Ana winds kick up, fire fighters and law enforcement personnel know that the arsons will soon be crawling out of the woodwork'. Humans also put out and prevent fires, with the effort most often being compared to warfare. Over the decades, the science and craft of firefighting has improved. That, combined with the supreme courage and dedication of firefighters, has resulted in significant reductions in human casualties.

Since the Bel Air fire, Southern California

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