Glendale (PDF) - Hazard Mitigation Web Portal - State of California
Glendale (PDF) - Hazard Mitigation Web Portal - State of California
Glendale (PDF) - Hazard Mitigation Web Portal - State of California
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Natural <strong>Hazard</strong>s <strong>Mitigation</strong> PlanCity <strong>of</strong> <strong>Glendale</strong>, <strong>California</strong>Section 7 – Wildfireslikely be curtailed due to damage to the water distribution system — broken water mains,damage to the aqueduct system, damage to above-ground reservoirs, etc.Loss-estimation scenarios were conducted for the city <strong>of</strong> <strong>Glendale</strong> using HAZUS. Specifics <strong>of</strong>this analysis are discussed in detail in Section 6 – Earthquakes. Five different earthquakescenarios were considered for the city. The results <strong>of</strong> these loss estimations indicate that<strong>Glendale</strong> could experience between 3 and 11 ignitions immediately following an earthquake,with the San Andreas fault earthquake scenario triggering 3 ignitions, and the Verdugo andSierra Madre faults triggering 11 ignitions each. The Raymond and Hollywood faults are bothexpected to trigger 10 ignitions in the city. The burnt area resulting from these ignitions willvary depending on wind conditions. Normal wind conditions <strong>of</strong> about 10 miles per hour (mph)are expected to result in burn areas <strong>of</strong> between 1.9 and 6.7 percent <strong>of</strong> the region’s total area. IfSanta Ana wind conditions are present at the time <strong>of</strong> the earthquake, the burnt areas can beexpected to be significantly larger.The fires triggered by an earthquake on the San Andreas fault are anticipated to displace as fewas 30 people (if the winds are low), and as many as 308 people (if 30 mph winds are blowingthrough the area at the time). The fires triggered by the other earthquake scenarios areexpected to impact between 116 and 354 people (if winds are low), and as many as 2,047 to2,919 people (if 30 mph winds are present).Wildfire <strong>Mitigation</strong> Activities:<strong>Hazard</strong> mitigation programs in fire hazard areas currently include fire prevention, vegetationmanagement, legislated construction requirements, and public awareness. Each <strong>of</strong> theseprograms is described further below.Fire Prevention: Fire prevention aims to reduce the incidence and extent <strong>of</strong> fire by preventingwildfires from occurring in the first place. Over the years, a variety <strong>of</strong> fire prevention programshave been developed and implemented by Federal, <strong>State</strong>, and local agencies. These programstypically include education, engineering, patrolling, code enforcement, and signing (Greenleeand Sapsis, 1996). Smokey Bear is one <strong>of</strong> the best-known characters that both children andadults recognize, attesting to the success <strong>of</strong> public education programs aimed at fire prevention.Quantitative studies show that fire losses arising from human fires, especially those caused bychildren, have dropped substantially over the last 30 years or so, in some cases by as much as 80percent (Greenlee and Sapsis, 1996). Therefore, fire prevention is a well-understood programwith a high degree <strong>of</strong> success. However, as discussed above, by preventing fire from occurring,fuel loads are allowed to increase, with the potential for high intensity fires and resultantdamage. Therefore, fire prevention needs to be complemented with a variety <strong>of</strong> other programsthat will guarantee long-term success in reducing the losses resulting from fires.Fire Prevention can include limiting access to fire hazard areas during certain times <strong>of</strong> the year.Although not apparent from Map 7.2, the wildfire susceptibility <strong>of</strong> an area changes throughoutthe year, and from one year to the next, in response to local variations in precipitation,temperature, vegetation growth, and other conditions. When the fire danger in a High Fire<strong>Hazard</strong> Zone is deemed to be <strong>of</strong> special concern, local authorities can rely on increased mediacoverage and public announcements to educate the local population about being fire safe. Forexample, to reduce the potential for wildfires during fire season, the City <strong>of</strong> <strong>Glendale</strong> can opt toclose hazardous fire areas to public access during at least part <strong>of</strong> the year. By monitoring sitespecificwildfire susceptibility <strong>of</strong> a region, the Fire Department can establish regional preventionpriorities that help reduce the risk <strong>of</strong> wildland fire ignition and spread, and help improve theallocation <strong>of</strong> suppression forces and resources, which can lead to faster control <strong>of</strong> fires in areas <strong>of</strong>high concern.2006 PAGE 7 - 17