A Case Study of the Camp Fire – Fire Progression Timeline

Maranghides, Alexander; Link, Eric; Mell, William; Hawks, Steven; Wilson, Mike; Brewer, Will; Brown, Chris; Vihnaneck, Bob; Walton, William D.

doi:10.6028/nist.tn.2135

Cited by 36 publications

(74 citation statements)

References 0 publications

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“…The difference between distance to nearest home and distance to nearest structure was much greater for older than newer homes (data not shown), indicative of structures such as sheds, detached garages, or other outbuildings being added to properties over time. Our summary of damage location and cause for damaged homes as well as rst-hand accounts (Maranghides et al (2021); N. Wallingford, personal communication) indicated such nonvegetative items were frequently ignited by embers and the reason for a ame impingement exposure.…”

Section: Variation In Factors Contributing To Home Loss Across Construction Time Periodsmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…High overstory canopy cover may also indicate areas where associated vegetation and surface fuels had developed to the greatest extent in the absence of re and active management, especially at a distance from homes. With the lands in the Paradise area having no record of re in modern recorded history (Maranghides et al 2021), considerable vegetative ingrowth and accumulation of dead and down surface fuels was likely, especially relative to historical amounts. Ingrowth could have included brush and smaller conifers that acted as ladder fuels, leading to torching and ember generation.…”

Section: Wildland Fuels and Defensible Space Actionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Camp Fire started on the morning of 8 November 2018, with the failure of an electrical transmission line and spread rapidly through wildland fuels comprised of mixed conifer forest, brush, grass, and dead and down surface fuels (Maranghides et al 2021). Surface fuels were unusually dry due to persistently low relative humidity throughout the summer and fall and the late onset of fall rains (Brewer and Clements 2019).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…A high proportion of the home and business losses occurred in Paradise -the largest town within the re footprint. The re passed from one side of Paradise to the other during one burn period over less than 12 hours (Maranghides et al 2021). With the focus on saving people's lives, very few homes were subject to re-ghting efforts, and survival was therefore largely a function of characteristics of the home and surrounding environment.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Factors associated with single-family home survival in the 2018 Camp Fire, California

Knapp

Valachovic

Quarles

et al. 2021

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Background The 2018 Camp Fire, which destroyed 18,804 structures in northern California, including most of the town of Paradise, provided an opportunity to investigate vegetation and housing factors associated with home loss and determine whether California's 2008 adoption of exterior building codes for homes in the wildland-urban-interface (WUI) improved survival. We randomly sampled single-family homes constructed: before 1997, 1997 to 2007, and 2008 to 2018, the latter two time periods being before and after changes to the building code. We then quantified the nearby overstory canopy cover and the distance to the nearest destroyed home and structure from aerial imagery. Using post-fire photographs, we also assessed fire damage and assigned a cause for damaged but not destroyed homes. Results Homes built prior to 1997 fared poorly, with only 11.5% surviving, compared with 38.5% survival for homes built in 1997 and after. The difference in survival percentage for homes built immediately before and after the adoption of Chap. 7A in the California Building Code (37% and 44%, respectively), was not statistically significant. Distance to nearest destroyed structure, number of structures destroyed within 100 m, and overstory canopy cover within 100 m of the home were the strongest predictors of survival, but significant interactions with the construction time period suggested that factors contributing to survival differed for homes of different ages. Homes > 18 from a destroyed structure and in areas with overstory canopy cover within 30–100 m of the home of < 53% survived at a substantially higher rate. Most fire damage to surviving homes resulted from radiant heat from nearby burning structures or flame impingement from ignition of near-home combustible materials. Conclusions Strong associations between distance to nearest destroyed structure and vegetation within 100 m and home survival in the Camp Fire indicates building and vegetation modifications are possible that would substantially improve outcomes. Among those include improvements to windows and siding in closest proximity to neighboring structures, treatment of wildland fuels, and eliminating near-home combustibles, especially in areas closest to the home (0-1.5 m).

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Section: Variation In Factors Contributing To Home Loss Across Construction Time Periodsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Wildland Fuels and Defensible Space Actionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Factors associated with single-family home survival in the 2018 Camp Fire, California

Knapp

Valachovic

Quarles

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Paradise had ve roads leading out of town, but the re forced o cials to close down three of the roads, leaving one exit towards the south and one towards the north. Most people used the south route to reach the shelter at Oroville and the evacuation destination at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico causing gridlock tra c (John, Lin II & Sern, 2018; Maranghides et al, 2021). Those who evacuated via the north route were able to do so faster.…”

Section: Impact Of the Camp Fire Destruction On The Education Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildfires Impacts on Education and Healthcare: Paradise, California After the Camp Fire

Hamideh

Sen

Fischer

et al. 2021

Preprint

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The 2018 Camp Fire caused significant damages to the education and healthcare systems in the town of Paradise, CA. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative case study about disaster impacts and disparities, interdependencies, and recovery strategies of schools and hospitals in Paradise. Four major themes of findings emerged from the qualitative analysis of interviews with teachers, counselors, and administrators in Paradise education and healthcare systems and extensive archival research. First, complex and long-standing mental health challenges are the dominant impact on the educational system. Second, educational and healthcare impacts are shaped by social vulnerability. Third, educational and healthcare systems play a critical role for recovery of socially vulnerable groups due to the interconnectedness of community components. Fourth, adapting to new communication norms and technologies are effective for supporting educational and community recovery. Several specific recommendations are provided based on the findings for building back more resilient and equitable education and healthcare services.

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