Bobcat Fire Explained

Bobcat Fire
Location:Angeles National Forest, California
Reference:[1]
Total Area:115997acres
Cause:Tree contacting power lines
Injuries:6
Fatalities:0
Buildings:169
Pushpin Map:USA California Southern
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of the Bobcat Fire in Southern California
Image Map Caption:Progression map of the Bobcat Fire, dated September 28, 2020
Image Map Alt:Refer to caption.

The Bobcat Fire was a large wildfire in Los Angeles County and one of the major incidents of the 2020 California wildfire season. The fire ignited on September 6, 2020, and burned 115997acres before it was fully contained by November 27. The Bobcat Fire primarily burned in the central San Gabriel Mountains, in and around the Angeles National Forest, and is one of the largest fires on record in Los Angeles County to date.[2]

Background

Most of the Bobcat Fire's footprint had no recent burn history, reaching back 50 years before the fire.[3] Some areas had not burned in over 80 years.[4]

Days before the fire began, a heat wave developed in the area. High temperatures surpassed 100 degrees, relative humidity levels fell below 15%, and vegetation moistures hovered around critical levels.[5] The National Weather Service in Los Angeles and Oxnard issued a red flag warning beginning 6:00 p.m. on September 6 through 10:00 p.m. the following day. The warning highlighted the potential for large wildfires to spread rapidly upon ignition:[6]

Incident meteorologist Rich Thompson compared the Bobcat Fire's spread to that of the 2009 Station Fire, ascribing the fire's growth to "hot and dry conditions, combined with typical summertime terrain-driven winds", as opposed to Santa Ana winds, which have driven other large and destructive wildfires in the region.

Progression

The fire triggered mandatory evacuation orders in parts of Arcadia and Camp Williams.[7] [8] [9] [10]

The fire initially spread southward which prompted evacuation orders for residents in Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Bradbury, and Duarte, along with evacuation warnings for those in Arcadia, Pasadena, and Altadena. The fire then grew westward and threatened the Mount Wilson Observatory by September 15, approaching within of the observatory as firefighters worked to protect the structure.[11] [12] [13] By September 17, the fire rapidly expanded to the north into Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness due to moderate coastal winds, leading to mandatory evacuations in Antelope Valley as the fire approached Juniper Hills. Containment difficulties were exacerbated by very dry vegetation and rugged topography that made it difficult to access.

The fire was declared fully contained on November 27.[14] The effort to contain the Bobcat Fire cost $100 million, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.[15]

Effects

The Bobcat Fire destroyed 169 structures and damaged a further 47.

Six firefighters were injured in the course of the suppression effort.

Along with the El Dorado Fire, the fire contributed to hazardous air pollution in the Los Angeles region.[16]

The blaze burned over 180 square miles (460 square kilometers); this makes it the second-largest wildfire recorded in modern times in Los Angeles County, behind the 2009 Station Fire and surpassing the 1970 Clampitt Fire.[17] [18] Air quality was poor in the burned areas and in the Los Angeles basin for weeks as a result.[19]

In the San Gabriel Mountains, several types of wildlife and aquatic creatures such as fish, frogs and western pond turtles face extinction as a result of the fires. The area of Little Rock Creek contains much of these aquatic life. Biologists and wildlife organizations were considering rescue operations.[20]

After the fires, some home owners were having trouble finding home insurance as some insurers pulled out of certain zip codes or even certain counties. Most remaining insurers have raised prices.[21] The CA State Department of Insurance banned insurers from cancelling insurance policies or declining renewals for one year after the fires.[22]

Cause

On September 15, 2020, Southern California Edison notified the California Public Utilities Commission that its equipment had detected an anomaly on one of its circuits five minutes before the Bobcat Fire was first reported, though the utility contended that this was after smoke had first been seen from the fire on cameras. Several weeks later, Southern California Edison filed a supplementary letter stating that tree branches may have come into contact with the utility's powerlines and begun the fire. U.S. Forest Service investigators took items from the scene into custody, including a section of conductor line, power poles, and several tree branches.[23] [24] The Forest Service later concluded that a tree had in fact contacted the power lines, catching aflame and starting the Bobcat Fire.

In September 2023, the federal government sued Southern California Edison and Utility Tree Service, a contractor for the utility. The lawsuit accuses the two of not adequately maintaining the tree that came into contact with the Southern California Edison powerlines. The federal government is seeking more than $121 million in recompense for the cost of fire suppression and damage.[25]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bobcat Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System . inciweb.nwcg.gov . 2020-09-18 . 2020-09-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200908162440/https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7152/ . live .
  2. Web site: Bobcat Fire Scorches Southern California . NASA Earth Observatory . 23 September 2020 . November 4, 2020 . 2 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201102044850/https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147324/bobcat-fire-scorches-southern-california . live .
  3. Bobcat Fire 2020: Funding request for estimated emergency stabilization funds . November 12, 2020 . USDA Forest Service . August 22, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210525000243/https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd868759.pdf . May 25, 2021 . live.
  4. News: Kurzweil . Tony . Saucedo . Carlos . September 11, 2020 . Bobcat Fire: 26,368-acre blaze crosses into Monrovia as crews work to increase containment lines . . live . August 22, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210517044842/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/bobcat-fire-grows-to-26368-acres-as-it-burns-away-from-foothill-communities/ . May 17, 2021.
  5. Web site: NWS Los Angeles . January 31, 2021 . Bobcat Fire, Southern California . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230901145232/https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/22236f74214f419fae80dbdfc79190ed . September 1, 2023 . September 1, 2023 . storymaps.arcgis.com.
  6. Web site: National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA . September 5, 2020 . Red Flag Warning from NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard . https://web.archive.org/web/20230901151014/https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/wx/afos/p.php?pil=RFWLOX&e=202009051705 . September 1, 2023 . September 1, 2023 . Iowa Environmental Mesonet . Iowa State University.
  7. News: Firefighters struggle to contain Bobcat fire in Southern California . 18 September 2020 . NBC News . en . 17 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200917225605/https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/firefighters-struggle-to-contain-bobcat-fire-in-southern-california-91935813738 . live .
  8. News: Staff . -LAist . Bobcat Fire: Bobcat Fire: Blaze Burning Within 500 Feet Of Mt. Wilson Observatory; Spot Fire Jumps Highway 2 . 15 September 2020 . LAist . 16 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200916171051/https://laist.com/latest/post/20200915/bobcat-fire-day10 . dead .
  9. News: Bobcat Fire grows to nearly 138,300 acres, jumping contingency line; Sierra Madre residents urged to prepare to flee . 15 September 2020 . KTLA . 14 September 2020 . 16 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200916153848/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/bobcat-fire-grows-to-more-than-36000-acres-officials-plan-virtual-meeting-with-public-monday-evening/ . live .
  10. Web site: Bobcat Fire Evacuation Order Continued . www.arcadiaca.gov . 15 September 2020 . en . 16 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200916171112/https://www.arcadiaca.gov/news_detail_T41_R165.php . live .
  11. News: Fire crews can't say if some landmark sites have survived Bobcat fire; here's what they know so far . 18 September 2020 . San Gabriel Valley Tribune . 17 September 2020 . 21 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200921165514/https://www.sgvtribune.com/2020/09/16/fire-crews-cant-say-if-some-landmark-sites-have-survived-bobcat-fire-heres-what-they-know-so-far/ . live .
  12. News: Smith . Hayley . Evacuations ordered in parts of Antelope Valley as Bobcat fire moves within 1 mile of Juniper Hills . 18 September 2020 . Los Angeles Times . 17 September 2020 . 18 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200918013248/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-17/evacuation-warnings-for-antelope-valley-as-bobcat-fire-expands . live .
  13. News: Bobcat fire threatens multiple fronts, from Mt. Wilson to foothill neighborhoods . 18 September 2020 . Los Angeles Times . 16 September 2020 . 18 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200918031104/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-16/new-evacuations-as-bobcat-fire-jumps-north-firefighters-battle-at-mt-wilson . live .
  14. 2020 Wildfire Activity Statistics . California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection . Office of the State Fire Marshal . 2020 . September 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230510021805/https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/our-impact/fire-statistics/2020_redbook_final.pdf?rev=72030b4d2cb7466aa573754ecb4f656e&hash=337DB407876BE384081C7D722D82B1BF . May 10, 2023 . live.
  15. Wildland Fire Summary and Statistics Annual Report 2020 . 2020 . National Interagency Coordination Center . September 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230715085733/https://www.nifc.gov/sites/default/files/NICC/2-Predictive%20Services/Intelligence/Annual%20Reports/2020/annual_report_0.pdf . July 15, 2023 . live.
  16. News: 15 September 2020 . Smoke advisory extended due to Bobcat and El Dorado fires . San Gabriel Valley Tribune . 18 September 2020 . 21 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200921034211/https://www.sgvtribune.com/2020/09/15/smoke-advisory-extended-due-to-bobcat-and-el-dorado-fires/ . live .
  17. News: Paul Vercammen and Hollie Silverman . 21 September 2020 . The Bobcat Fire is one of the largest in Los Angeles County history after scorching more than 100,000 acres . CNN . 21 September 2020 . 21 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200921161220/https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/21/us/bobcat-fire-los-angeles-county/index.html . live .
  18. Web site: Johnson . Nikie . Where Bobcat fire fits among LA County's largest wildfires of past century . The Daily News . October 4, 2020 . September 22, 2020 . September 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200928125648/https://www.dailynews.com/2020/09/22/bobcat-fire-among-la-countys-5-largest-wildfires-of-the-past-century/ . live .
  19. Web site: 2020-10-26. Winds carry ash from Bobcat Fire into L.A. Basin, causing bad air quality. 2020-11-08. KTLA. en-US. 2020-11-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20201103010520/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/winds-carry-ash-from-bobcat-fire-into-l-a-basin-causing-bad-air-quality/. live.
  20. Web site: SAHAGÚN . LOUIS . Bobcat fire aftermath threatens endangered species in San Gabriel Mountains . Los Angeles Times . November 4, 2020 . October 14, 2020 . November 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201103233924/https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-10-14/fire-stripped-slopes-and-winter-storms-point-to-a-bleak-scenario-for-wildlife-in-the-san-gabriel-mountains . live .
  21. Web site: 2020-09-15. Californians Struggle To Secure Fire Insurance As Historic Blazes Continue To Ravage State. 2020-11-08. en-US. 2020-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20201113154649/https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/09/15/californians-struggle-to-secure-fire-insurance-as-historic-blazes-continue-to-ravage-state/. live.
  22. Web site: 2020-11-06. California bans insurers from dropping coverage for 2.1 million homes in fire-stricken areas. 2020-11-08. Los Angeles Times. en-US. 2020-11-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20201108070715/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-06/california-bans-insurers-from-dropping-coverage-for-2-1-million-homes-in-fire-stricken-areas. live.
  23. News: Serna . Joseph . October 12, 2020 . Tree branches hitting power lines may have sparked Bobcat fire, utility says . Los Angeles Times . live . September 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904141029/https://latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-12/bobcat-fire-southern-california-edison-tree-branches-power-lines . September 4, 2023.
  24. News: October 12, 2020 . Bobcat Fire Possibly Caused By Tree Branch Touching Overhead Conductor . . . live . September 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221207022036/https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/bobcat-fire-cause-angeles-national-forest-wildfire/2442975/ . December 7, 2022.
  25. News: Vives . Ruben . September 2, 2021 . U.S. sues Edison and tree contractor over Bobcat fire . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230905134853/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-09-02/u-s-sues-sce-and-tree-contractor-over-bobcat-fire-damages . September 5, 2023 . March 14, 2024 . Los Angeles Times.

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