Wildfire Boundaries Acquisition Usage and Web Display Daniel

Wildfire Boundaries Acquisition, Usage, and Web Display Daniel Kozlowski HAS Meteorologist California Nevada River Forecast Center RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Acquisition • USGS Anonymous FTP Server ( ftp. geomac. gov ) • Data Available for the Period 2000 to Current Year • ALL Regions of the United States Are Available Wildfires Are Not Just An Issue In the West! • Directory Structure… /outgoing/yyyy_fire_data/State. Name/Fire. Name For 2007 Example… RFC GIS Workshop California July 17 – 19, 2007 Angora Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Example 1: Angora Fire (South Lake Tahoe – June 2007) • 3, 100 Acres Burned • 242 Residences and 67 Commercial Structures Destroyed RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Example 2: Big Turnaround Fire (SE GA / NE FL– Apr to Jul 2007) • Approximately 390, 000 Acres Burned • At Least 18 Homes Destroyed and Parts of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Timeline of Wildfire to Debris Flow • Grand Prix Fire – Began October 21, 2003 • Old Fire – Began October 25, 2003 • Fires Merged on October 26, 2003 • Affected Lytle Creek, Cable Canyon, and Waterman Canyon Areas RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Timeline of Wildfire to Debris Flow • 100 Percent Containment on November 8, 2003 • Approximately 150, 000 Acres Burned • Over 1100 Homes and 10 Commercial Buildings Destroyed • Four Fatalities and Forty Injuries Due to Fire RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Timeline of Wildfire to Debris Flow • Nearly 10” of Rainfall Over the Burn Areas on Christmas Day • Gage Data: Lytle Creek – 8. 58” and Devore Water Co – 5. 79” • 33 of 34 Basins In Foothills of San Bernardino Mountains Filled With Debris • Hardest Hit Basins: Lytle Creek, Cable Canyon, and Waterman Canyon RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Lytle Creek • Rainfall Rates Up To 1. 00” / Hour • Flash Flooding and Debris Flows Observed As Trees, Rocks, and Mud Flowed Across Several Roads and Highways Courtesy of Google Earth RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Cable Canyon • Rainfall Rates. 20” to. 70” / Hour • Flash Flood and Debris Flow Resulted in a Mudslide • Moved Thru a KOA Campground • 2 People, 1 Bear, and 1 Horse Killed • 32 Travel Trailers, Multiple Vehicles, and Roads Destroyed Courtesy of Google Earth RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Waterman Canyon • Rainfall Rates. 20” to. 70” / Hour • Resulted in Mud, Water, and Rock Slides in the Canyon • Moved Through Saint Sofia Camp Killing 14 People • Debris Flow Destroyed 2 Bridges and Finally Spanned Out Just North of the city of San Bernardino Courtesy of Google Earth RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Aftermath… RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Use of GIS Data on Internet Graphics • Precipitation Gage Graphics RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Use of GIS Data on Internet Graphics • Precipitation Grid Graphics (QPE and QPF) RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Use of GIS Data on Internet Graphics • Flash Flood Guidance Adjustments – In coordination with USGS, initial FFG of 0. 25” to 0. 50” per hour over 2003 burn areas Oct 2003 Cedar Fire - San Diego County > Second Largest Fire in California History > Nearly 725, 000 Acres Burned > Over 3500 Homes Destroyed > 15 People Killed RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Use of GIS Data on AWIPS • D 2 D Background Map RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)

Wildfire Boundaries Questions? ? ? Thank You!!! RFC GIS Workshop July 17 – 19, 2007 Wilmington, Ohio (OHRFC)