Many Agencies Support Southern California Burn Assessment
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 NR-29 FEMA/OES: 626-431-3178 MASG: 909-777-3005 |
Disaster News
MANY AGENCIES SUPPORT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BURN ASSESSMENT
PASADENA, Calif. - More than a dozen federal, state and local agencies are pulling together to inventory the scorched earth of Southern California from the recent wildfires. Their goal is to assess burned areas and prescribe treatments to lessen threats to life and property from rainy season flooding and debris flows.
Teams of foresters, biologists, hydrologists, engineers, and other technical experts are conducting post-fire assessments throughout Southern California. Ten Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams from federal and state agencies have thoroughly examined national forests, U.S. Department of Interior lands, American Indian tribal lands, state parks, private property and other lands to assess the burned areas within the affected watersheds.
The coalition, known as a Multi-Agency Support Group (MASG), is under the coordination of both the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES). Since October 27, the coalition has deployed dozens of specialists on the ground and in the air who are conducting post-fire assessments to identify potential problems that could result from the recent wildfires.
"A remarkable brain trust of scientists and technicians has walked and flown the length and breadth of every fire site in Southern California in the past week," said Lee Rosenberg, MASG lead coordinator with FEMA. "Their home agencies are working full bore to implement projects to prepare these fire-damaged areas for winter rains."
A priority for each BAER team is to finalize a soil burn severity map, a critical first step that sets the stage for assessing potential impacts to people, animals, property and downstream resources. A possible outcome could be to provide early warning systems to potentially affected areas if flooding is imminent.
"As the rainy season approaches, protecting those living near and below the burn areas from flooding and mudflows is a priority," said Henry Renteria, director of OES and state coordinating officer for the fire recovery effort. "The work of the Multi-Agency Support Group will be instrumental in helping emergency managers and elected officials at all levels of government develop strategies to reduce potential deaths, injuries and property losses this winter and in the future."
In addition to FEMA and OES, 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.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) coordinates overall state-agency response to major disasters in support of local government. OES is also responsible for maintaining the State Emergency Plan and coordinating the California's preparedness, mitigation and recovery efforts.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, economic status or retaliation. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, you should call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or contact your State Office of Equal rights. If suspicious of any abuse of FEMA programs, please contact the fraud hotline at 1-800-323-8603.
###
