As the winds have died down and firefighters have gained the advantage in battling the fires that roared through Southern California's rangeland and canyons, a couple of themes emerge. One should alarm us; the other should comfort us.
The alarming one is obvious: When we put housing developments into remote places that are full of fuel, they're in danger of burning up. The fires in Southern California took at least seven lives, burned hundreds of thousands of acres and displaced a half-million people. And in fact, many similar conditions exist in central Oregon, where rapid development into dry, brushy country has increased the potential for a catastrophic fire.
It's not that fires are new to either region -- it's that more people are living in places that are farther from emergency services, surrounded by dry vegetation in areas where seasonal fires are common. Developers and homeowners have gotten smarter about employing firebreaks, using fire-resistant building materials and other stratagems, but little can withstand a powerful range or forest fire with a strong wind behind it.
The more comforting theme to emerge over the past week is that first-responders and local governments were more efficient and coordinated than when hurricanes struck the Gulf Coast and destroyed so much of the regional infrastructure. The state and federal response was sharper and more effective, too, it seems.
Who could watch the images of refugees sleeping in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium without contrasting it to the chaotic scene at the Superdome two years ago? This time, responders were ready, people were more patient, and transportation more manageable. It all went so smoothly that the NFL Chargers plan to play their home game in the stadium Sunday.
The interagency coordination in Southern California has been impressive. From the military C-130s with their payloads of fire retardant to the local and federal investigators who investigated the causes of the fires, at least two of which were deliberately set, the interagency response to the devastation has been reassuring.
Unfortunately, the conditions that led to the catastrophe in Southern California show scant sign of lessening, so it's essential that first responders and public officials continue to plan and train for the worst. It's better to be surprised on the upside than the downside.The Oregonian
