On August 26, 2009, Los Angeles County experienced its worst wildfire ever and the 10th worst overall in the history of California. The wildfire was christened the "Station Fire" because it started near the US Forest Ranger service station on the Angeles Crest High Way, which runs through the heart of Angeles National Forest. The wildfire burned well over a month until October 16 when, after $93.8 million dollars of taxpayer money was spent containing the wildfire, it was finally suppressed with help from moderate rainfall. Officials believed that the wildfire was caused by arson and launched a still pending investigation into the matter (Bloomekatz). Although justice has not yet been executed, the official tally for the blaze's total damage has. The Station Fire burned 160,577 acres in all, destroyed 209 structures and homes, and left two firefighters dead (Inciweb). While the damage was devastating, it could have been much worse. The Station Fire had ravaged over a quarter of Angeles National Forest, which lies precariously close to the urban regions of Los Angeles County. The following thematic map shows how much worse the Station Fire could have been because of its proximity to sensitive places like heavily populated bases, significant ecological areas, and other portions of our valuable state parks.
About 9,862,049 people live in the county of Los Angeles, which is the country's largest hodgepodge of cities, districts, and neighborhoods (US Census Bureau). Most are located in the southern portion of the county, divided from the northern urban enclave mainly by none other than Angeles National Forest, the site of the Station Fire. Although the wildfire began near the southern border of Angeles National Forest, the progression of the wildfire was northward into relatively unpopulated areas rather than southward into the county's urban areas. Nonetheless, the Station Fire threatened 12,000 structures located nearby in the communities of La Cañada Flintridge, Glendale, Acton, La Crescenta, Littlerock and Altadena, as well as the Sunland and Tujunga neighborhoods of the city of Los Angeles (InciWeb). Encroaching blazes forced many of the people living in these areas to evacuate. Fortunately, the flames abided before significant damage could be done and the northern part of, or perhaps even all of, urban Los Angeles was spared and no mortality reported.
Los Angeles and its metropolitan area is one of the largest, most populated, and urban places on earth; but, surprisingly, Los Angeles County is also home to many significant ecological area (SEA), a concept unique to the county in all of southern California. As defined by the County of Los Angeles Department of Regional Planning, SEA are "ecologically important land and water systems that are valuable as plant or animal communities, often important to the preservation of threatened or endangered species and to conservation of biological diversity in the County" (LA County). In other words, losing a SEA would be devastating to the natural biome of the Los Angeles region. Fortunately, the Station Fire came close to harming only one SEA: Tujunga Valley, which comprises Tujunga Wash (a tributary of the Los Angeles River), Hansen Dam, a reservoir and lake, and countless valuable wildlife.
Unlike heavily populated urban areas and sensitive significant ecological areas, Angeles National Forest took the brunt of the Station Fire and more it would have burned away if not for human intervention. The state park is home to many endangered flora and fauna like the Los Angeles sunflower and the mountain yellow-legged frog, and losing them because of a man-made fire would be a vicious blow to biological conservation. But Angeles National Forest is not simply a haven for wildlife. Atop of Mt. Wilson, located in the state park, is also the home of Mount Wilson Observatory, which includes several historically significant telescopes and multi-million-dollar astronomical facilities, and transmitters for 22 television stations, several FM radio stations, and police and fire department emergency channels (Becerra, Knoll). Fortunately, the fires never were unable to burn beyond the slopes of the mountain.
Indeed, the Station Fire was one of the worst wildfires in California history, but it could have been much worse because of its proximity to many vulnerable areas. But fortunately, the wildfire’s burning was nearly entirely restricted to the Angeles National Forest, which experiences periodical fires anyway as a means of regeneration in its chaparral ecosystem. Nonetheless, had it not been human containment, the human caused Station Fire would have certainly spread into more vulnerable areas.
Works Cited
Becerra, Corina Knoll and Hector. TV signals from Mt. Wilson at risk. newspaper. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Times, 2009.
Bloomekatz, Ari B. Station fire was arson, officials say; homicide investigation begins. online newspaper. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Times, 2009.
Incident Information System. 31 August 2009. 25 May 2010. inciweb.org/incident/article/9360
Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning. 2009. 25 May 2010. http://planning.lacounty.gov/view/significant_ecological_areas_faq
US Census Bureau. 2008. 25 May 2010
