Public Safety

Maps on Fire

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While local firefighters were battling the Felipe and General fires in East County recently they received critical assistance from a local mapping team.

The County Fire Authority GIS (Geographical Information Systems) team was busily updating maps showing the fire perimeter, area burn history, and topographical land features. CAL FIRE has GIS teams that will respond to fires several days after they start. In our area, the County GIS team is sent out as soon as firefighters suspect an extended battle ahead.

One County GIS specialist is Matthew Turner. He just finished working nine days straight on the two local fires. Turner works with the San Diego County Fire Authority, and can report nearly anywhere in the rural county with his GIS trailer and map plotter. He works in the trailer along with Suzann Leininger, a volunteer GIS specialist with the Fire Authority.

“We are fortunate in San Diego County because we have a GIS trailer that can be dispatched right away to a fire,” said CAL FIRE Capt. Mike Mohler. “Our local GIS person knows the county and already has pre-laid out maps, so we are already ahead of the game when we respond.”

Having the GIS maps are key to their firefighting operation, Mohler said.

Turner has specialized wildland fire training so he knows how to create maps for the benefit of firefighters. Turner says the initial map is based on a circle of the fire drawn on a USGS topographical map. Mappers will continue to update the fire perimeters based on data received from firefighters outfitted with GPS devices that record information.

Turner also works on a number of different kinds of maps used for planning the fire fight.

Besides the active fire line, he maps extinguished and cold areas, and bulldozer and hand crew lines where vegetation has been cleared to try to keep the fire from spreading. The maps are updated every 24 hours and are printed as posters for the fire camp. Additionally, Turner creates specialized products such as transportation maps for out-of-town crews to direct them to the fire camp and their assigned divisions.

Turner said he has been doing the fire maps for the Fire Authority since 2008. The County created his position and acquired the GIS trailer after the massive 2007 wildfires. Prior to that, the county relied on CAL FIRE map specialists to come in days after the fire started.

“We’re pretty special (with GIS fire services) and I’m proud to be part of that,” Turner said.

CAL FIRE reports that fire conditions are especially challenging this season. Already, there has been an 85 percent increase of fires across the state compared to the same time period last year, Mohler said. Fire conditions are dry and that combined with wind and heat, can be explosive.

Just because it’s gloomy now doesn’t mean that hot forecasts and fire danger aren’t ahead of us this month. Residents can take advantage of cloudy conditions forecast this week by clearing away debris on their roof and around their home and removing dead and dying plants.

Mohler reminds residents to maintain a minimum of 100 feet of defensible space around their homes. Residents should take precautions when using mowers, weed cutters or tractors to avoid sparking a fire. Fire officials recommend that people only do this kind of work in the morning before 10 a.m. before the heat of the day. To learn more about creating defensible space at home, visit http://www.readysandiego.org/wild-land-fire/.

 

Yvette Urrea Moe is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact