Southern California Fire Siege of 2003: Lives Lost, Lessons Learned Int. Assoc. of Fire Chiefs Conf. Reno, Nevada - March, 2007

FACES of WUI Victims… …Can Motivate People to Prepare, Stay, & Defend

Interface Survival Strategies  Fire Prevention  Restoring Ecosystems  Homeowner Responsibility  Emergency Response  FireWise Robert W. Mutch Fire Management Applications Missoula, Montana

Southern California Wildfires October – November, Fatalities

Lives Lost, Lessons Learned Faces of the 2003 Fire Siege

The FACES: Victims of Southern California’s 2003 Fire Siege What Can They Tell Us? Why Have We Forgotten Them? Lives Lost—Lessons Learned

Lagadec, in “Preventing Chaos in a Crisis”: “…the ability to deal with a crisis situation is largely dependent on the structures that have been developed before chaos arrives.”

“The event (like the Okanagan Fire) can in some ways be considered as an abrupt and brutal audit at a moment’s notice.”

“Everything that was left unprepared becomes a complex problem, and every weakness comes to the forefront.”

After Action Reports Silent on Civilian Deaths

Andrea Tuttle, Former Director, CDF

FACES Report Prepared for: Lessons Learned Center--Arizona A lesson is truly learned when we modify our behavior to reflect what we now know.

Late Evacuations Cause Fatalities

When a Wildfire Threatens: 3 Options  Evacuate well in advance of the fire front;  Prepare property and stay; or  Wait until the fire front arrives and leave at the last moment

Cedar Fire Fatalities

Christy-Anne Died North of Alpine

Paradise Fire Fatalities

John Roach Points to Where Fire Came From

Site Where Ashleigh Roach Died

Ashleigh, Jason, & Allyson Roach

Old Fire Fatalities (Heart Attacks)  James McDermith, 70  Charles Cunningham, 93  Robert Taylor, 54  Chad Williams, 70  Gene Knowles, 75  Ralph Williams, 67

There Were Survivors

Rudy Reyes: Cedar Fire Survivor

Allyson Roach: Paradise Fire Survivor

Couple Survived Cedar Fire at Golf Home

Fire Resistant Home Survived Cedar Fire

Christmas Day Flood Killed Sixteen

Success Stories During the Siege  Ventura County Vegetation Mgt.  MAST in San Bernardino County  Lytle Creek Fire Safe Council  Sherilton Valley Fuel Treatment

Aussies: “FireWise Only 1/3 of Solution!”

Prepare, Stay, and Defend — the Ultimate in Teamwork (AFAC)  The Dream: houses are able to survive fires even when Fire Service personnel are not available.  The Team: consists of the effective partnership between Fire Services and home dwellers.  The Theme: comprises the dual strategy of adequate defendable space coupled with the home dweller’s motivation to remain on-site.

Neighbors protected homes in 2000

Painted Rocks Fire District, Montana  The Painted Rocks Fire Rescue Company has adopted Prepare, Stay, and Defend (PSD) for its isolated Montana community.  Will use PSD to work with homeowners to achieve FireWise standards.  The first retro-community in the United States to adopt this system.

Before the Next Round of Fires  Rehabilitate forests affected by fires and/or suppression actions.  Restore and maintain ecosystems.  Ensure that homes are fire safe.  Initiate Prepare, Stay, and Defend strategy.

Lessons Learned from 2003 Siege  Organize & issue timely information  Plan for early evacuation  People protect houses, houses protect people: Prepare, Stay, Defend  Plan for multiple safety zones  Plan for needs of livestock & pets  Fewer jurisdictions = better command

Lessons Learned (con’t.)  Plan for long term stress treatment  Use the FACES to motivate others  Educate society in fire prone areas  Encourage informal information networks

Fire Safe Councils Produce Results

FACES OF THE 2003 FIRE SIEGE: EACH HUMAN LIFE IS PRECIOUS Prepare Now! Pass Through a Portal to Safety Protect Family, Property & Animals In the Interface Contact:

Preparations Save Carson City House from Waterfall Fire in 2004 Before During After Photo: E. Smith Photo: C. Towell Photo: E. Smith Reno Gazette Journal Sometimes a little luck helps!

Rancho Santa Fe Adopts Shelter in Place Crosby SIP Comm.FM Cliff Hunter

Educate all Segments of Society

David Strohmaier in “Drift Smoke” “How many deaths must be offered up on the altar of remorse before we learn some lesson or other about how to better live in a world that always has, always will, and, indeed, should burn? Might we learn lessons without flag-draped caskets? I think so, if we can just remember.”