Fact Sheet: Southern California Burned Area Assess
Incident: So Cal BAER Coordination Burned Area Emergency Reh
Released: 11/9/2007
FEMA - Joint Field Office
75 N. Fair Oaks Ave., 3rd Floor
Pasadena, CA 91103
OES - California Governor's Office of Emergency Services
November 9, 2007
DR-1731-CA FS-02
FEMA/OES: 626-431-3178
MASG: 909-777-3005
Fact Sheet
More than a dozen federal, state and local agencies are pulling together to study Southern California's scorched earth.
- Teams of foresters, biologists, hydrologists, engineers, and other technical experts are conducting post-fire assessments throughout Southern California;
- These Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams have examined national forests, state parks, American Indian tribal lands, private property, and other lands to determine potential concerns from changed conditions within affected watersheds;
- Their goal is to prevent further threats from rainy season flooding and debris flows.
The coalition, known as a multi-agency support group, is under the coordination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- Since October 27, the coalition has supported dozens of specialists, on the ground and in the air, who are predicting future problems that could result from the October wildfires;
- A priority for each BAER team is to finalize a soil burn severity map, a critical first step that sets the stage to assess potential impacts to people, animals, property and downstream resources;
- Another important goal is to provide warning systems in the event that flooding is imminent.
In addition to FEMA, agencies involved in the support group include:
- U.S. Department of Interior: Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Geological Survey, and Fish and Wildlife Service;
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service;
- U.S. Department of Defense: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: National Weather Service;
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;
- California agencies & departments: Water Resources, CalFire, Geological Survey, Fish and Game, Governor's Office of Emergency Services; Regional Water Quality Control Boards;
- County flood control districts, local utility companies, and others.
