1. The Social Geographies of Wildfire Risk and Vulnerabilty in Southern California Econversations, Friends of the Colorado Lagoon, Earth Day 2010 Christine M. Rodrigue Department of Geography Environmental Science & Policy Program Emergency Services Management Program California State University, Long Beach

2. Chaparral doing its thing

3. Map of Mediterranean climates

4. Mediterranean climate graph (Los Angeles)

5. Chaparral

6. Chaparral: Post fire stump sprouting

7. California sage scrub

8. Spanish Governor de Arrillaga "/With attention to the widespread damage which results to the public from the burning of the fields, customary up to now among both Christian and Gentile Indians in this country, whose childishness has been unduly tolerated, and as a consequence of various complaints that I have had of such abuse, I see myself required to have the foresight to prohibit for the future... all kinds of burning, not only in the vicinity of the towns but even at the most remote distances....Therefore I order and command all commandantes of the presidios in my charge to do their duty and watch with the greatest earnestness to take whatever measures they may consider requisite and necessary to uproot this very harmful practice of setting fire to pasture lands [and] exercize equal vigilance in trying to advise the Christian Indians and the Gentiles of the neighboring rancherias about this proclamation and impressing upon them that those who commit such an offense will be punished, and in case some burning occurs, they are to try immediately to take the most appropriate means to stop the fire....I beg and charge the Reverend fathers, priests of the missions, that they do their part in instructing the Christian Indians not to commit such transgressions....I order that this decision of mine be published by proclamation in the presidios as well as the missions and towns of this province which is in my charge....with the full understanding that whatever lack of observance may be noticed in this matter [which is] of such great interest will be worthy of the most severe punishment/." May 31, 1793 Jose Joaquin de Arrillaga

9. Living in the hills becomes chic!

10. Living in the hills is not such a good idea: Fire frequency in western L.A. County

11. Chaparral: Post fire potential type conversion

12. California FAIR Plan assigned risk pool

13. The fire triangle

14. Home ignition zone

16. Firewise Communities

17. Some resources: Firewise Communities. Firewise Communities. Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program of the Rocky Mountain Research Station at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program of the Rocky Mountain Research Station at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. Jack Cohen's publication list on the Firewise web site. Jack Cohen's publication list on the Firewise web site. Jon Keeley's web page at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center. Jon Keeley's web page at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center. Richard Minnich's web page at UC Riverside's Department of Earth Sciences. Richard Minnich's web page at UC Riverside's Department of Earth Sciences. Max Moritz's web page at UC Berkeley Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. Max Moritz's web page at UC Berkeley Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. Rodrigue, C.M. 1993. Home with a view: Chaparral fire hazard and the social geographies of risk and vulnerability. The California Geographer 33: 105-118. Rodrigue, C.M. 1993. Home with a view: Chaparral fire hazard and the social geographies of risk and vulnerability. The California Geographer 33: 105-118. rodrigue@csulb.edu rodrigue@csulb.edu