In addition to atmospheric contamination, wildfires increase the load of contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. This was recently documented in a study that examined the impact of wildfires on contaminant loadings in Southern California – the same area where the Williams Fire occurred. The results from that study show that the mean fluxes of Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn from burned sites were 110-fold, 740-fold, 82-fold, and 110-fold greater compared to their respective fluxes at similar unburned sites.
That study also found that the mean post-fire concentrations of Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn in the first stormwater collected from an area that was ∼20 km from the closest fire site were each 3 times their pre-fire levels, which they attributed to ash fallout. Similarly, Sabin et al. reported 4-fold, 6-fold, 8-fold, and 13-fold post-fire increases in fluxes of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ni, respectively, over their mean fluxes in an unburned site in Southern California, which were likewise attributed to forest fires in nearby mountains. Those attributions are consistent with results from a study by Young and Jan , who showed that trace metals fallout increased by up to 3-fold in a 10,000 km2 unburned area that was impacted by smoke plumes and ash from wildfires in the Angeles National Forest in Southern California. A series of wildfires – the Copper Fire of 2002, Sayre Fire of 2008 and Ranch Fire of 2007 – burned approximately 37,000 acres of national forest lands and left a significant impact on the landscapes, watersheds and ecosystems of the region.
The Angeles National Forest has partnered with NFWF to restore the watersheds and ecosystems affected by these wildfire events. The "acid-leachable" concentrations of Al, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn, and lead isotopic ratios (208Pb/207Pb, 206Pb/207Pb, and 207Pb/204Pb) of the ash and soil samples are listed in Table 5. The enrichment factors of the trace metals normalized to Fe are listed in Table S2 in File S1. These concentrations and enrichment factors are considered conservative because they may not include metals volatilized during the fire and those contained in refractory aluminosilicate lattices, which require dissolution with concentrated HF , . The concentrations of Fe were used to compute the enrichment factors of trace metals in the samples. The detection limit , reproducibility, and recoveries of each analyte are presented in Tables 1–4.
The recoveries of metals in the NIST SRM are assumed to be most representative of the metals in the ash samples since they were derived predominantly from vegetation and soil organic matter. Across the American west, climate change has caused warmer and drier weather, fueling larger and deadlier wildfires in recent years. The US has spent 57 days at national preparedness level 5, the highest level of risk and preparation for fires as categorized by NIFC. More than 22,000 wildland firefighters continue to battle big blazes, some that have been burning for weeks. "We do not take this decision lightly but this is the best choice for public safety," said Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien in a news release.
"It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests." "We do not take this decision lightly but this is the best choice for public safety," said Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien. While there have been several investigations of the remobilization of mercury by forest fires , , there have been few similar studies on the remobilization of Pb and other trace metals (e.g., Co and Zn). The latter include a recent study in the relatively unpopulated and relatively pristine Santa Barbara area north of Los Angeles and a similar study in Australia . Wildfires remobilize legacy trace metal contaminants deposited in grasslands and forests.
Metals are sequestered in sediment, soil organic matter, and vegetation in forests, where they are relatively immobile –. However, the combustion of vegetation and soil organic matter releases these trace metals in more labile forms , . In addition, forest fires increase erosion rates by as much as 100-fold and facilitate the rapid transport of remobilized trace metals to draining water bodies, raising contamination levels in aquatic ecosystems , . The forest order issued on Saturday cites an abundance of dry brush and grasses, hotter-than-average temperatures and increased public use of the national forest. There is an exception for shooting by licensed hunters in season and those on public shooting ranges. The Fire affected four watersheds, decimated forests, and severely damaged both public and private infrastructure.
It also severely impacted recreation opportunities for the millions who visit the Angeles National Forest, one of the most urban forests in the country. The Station Fire also damaged riparian areas, burned more than 40,000 acres of tree-covered landscapes, allowed invasive species to take hold, and destroyed recreation infrastructure. The effects of the Fire also brought to light other areas that may be susceptible to additional natural disasters due to climate change. The Angeles National Forest serves as the picturesque backdrop for one of the country's largest urban centers, providing approximately 700,000 acres of open space to the roughly 18 million residents of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. The first national forest designated in California, the Angeles National Forest is located within one of the world's vital biodiversity hot spots.
In addition, the forest contains the San Gabriel Mountains, which are some of the steepest and most rugged mountains in the United States. The forest is home to many natural and cultural resources unique to Southern California, including a variety of threatened, endangered and other species of special concern. In addition to managing and maintaining the unique ecosystems of the region, the Angeles National Forest also provides opportunities to experience nature and the outdoors for almost 4 million visitors annually. The apparent leaded gasoline signature of Pb in the samples attests to the persistence of industrial Pb deposits in the Los Angeles Basin that is consistent with the results of the mass balance study by Harris and Davidson . It is also consistent with previous reports on the persistence of industrial Pb deposits in California's Central Valley, which is north of Los Angeles, based on both mass balance and lead isotopic composition analyses , . The latter has been principally traced to atmospheric depositions from the combustion of leaded gasoline in California .
The Forest Service says the closure order will decrease the potential for new fire starts at a time when the West Coast's firefighting resources are stretched thin. The closure order also stated, "By temporarily reducing the numbers of people on national forests, we hope to minimize the likelihood that visitors could become entrapped" in these forests if a fire breaks out. United States Forest Service Angeles National Forest Crew 70 "Monarchs" is an emergency, call-when-needed Type 2 hand crew which is staffed with students from LA Valley College and managed by crew bosses from Burbank Fire Department. Each year, the Monarchs respond to large fires throughout the State and beyond, as well as provide coverage in the local forest in times of drawdown or weather events resulting in high fire danger.
So far this year, our crew bosses have led this crew while responding to several fires including the Lake Fire, Dam Fire and Bobcat Fire. Our Department is extremely proud of these firefighters not only for the contribution they give to the fires they assist on, but for the leadership they provide for their crew and the knowledge, experience and leadership they bring back to our agency. In the Station Fire, more than 161,000 acres of the forest were burned by an arson fire that began on August 26, 2009, near Angeles Crest Highway in La Cañada and quickly spread, fueled by dry brush that had not burned for over 150 years.
The fire burned for more than a month and was the worst in Los Angeles County history, charring 250 square miles , approximately one-fourth of the forest; displacing wildlife, and destroying 91 homes, cabins and outbuildings and the family-owned Hidden Springs Cafe. All national forests in California were closed to visitors last week because of the wildfire concerns brought on by the hot and dry conditions. The Angeles National Forest will remain closed through at least Sept. 17. California's wildfire season has kept pace with 2020's record-breaking season, and with months left before winter brings relief. Scientists have said weather will continue to be more extreme and wildfires more frequent, destructive and unpredictable. On Thursday morning, 11 large fires were burning in the state, including 3 of top 20 largest fires ever recorded, which still have yet to be fully contained.
The plot indicates that the Pb in the ash is mainly from anthropogenic sources, predominantly the past combustion of leaded gasoline. The predominantly alkyl-lead in the samples is further corroborated by the isotopic compositions of Pb in most of the soil samples (Fig. 3). Two soil samples (CWS-4 and CWS-5) have distinct Pb isotopic compositions compared to the other samples and are assumed to be representative of mixtures between baseline and anthropogenic Pb or variants of baseline Pb isotopic compositions. The Angeles National Forest, which covers ∼ 283,280 hectares , abuts the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area . The September 2012 Williams Fire scorched about 1,696 hectares of land in Angeles National Forest from approximately September 2nd to 13th (Fig. 1). The fire occurred in a very steep (∼ 30–80% slope) area of the forest that is covered with medium to heavy brush.
The fuels, mostly chaparral, brush, and mixed conifers, were approximately 15 to 20 years old . Fourteen ash and 6 soil samples were collected from different accessible locations within the burned perimeter of the fire site (Figs. 1 and 2) using established trace metal clean techniques . The samples were then transported in plastic containers to the University of California, Santa Cruz for processing. The collection location for each sample is presented in Table S1 in File S1.
No specific permissions were required to access and collect samples from the fire site, and the sampling did not involve interactions with endangered or protected species. However, efforts to reduce industrial metal contamination, especially Pb contamination, over the past half century have been quite successful in much of the world, notably the US and specifically Los Angeles. Despite these marked improvements, the current average PbB level in the US is still about 80-fold greater than the estimated natural PbB (0.016 µg/dL) level in humans and health impairments are now being reported at Pb levels that were previously considered harmless , . Similarly, sublethal toxicities of other trace metals (e.g., Cu and Zn) continue to be documented at increasingly lower levels . These industrial emissions extensively contaminated aerosols and sediments in Southern California, where enormous amounts of leaded gasoline were combusted during the previous century. For example, ∼8.9% of the estimated 4,639,000 metric tons of Pb additives used in gasoline in the US between 1950 and 1982 was in California .
Similar temporal increases in fluxes of Pb in age-dated sediments that were attributed to the use of leaded gasoline have been documented in adjacent areas both north and south of Southern California, albeit at lower levels , . Substantial temporal increases in the fluxes of other trace metals, e.g., zinc , associated with anthropogenic inputs have also been measured in Southern California . LOS ANGELES -- All national forests in California will close to the public because of wildfire danger starting Tuesday, federal officials said. The USFS is the lead federal agency managing the fixed-wing air tanker program, which has withered away from the 44 exclusive use large air tankers we had in 2002 to the 9 we have today. Air tankers and helicopters do not put out fires, but under the right conditions they can slow the fire enough to allow ground-based firefighters the opportunity to suppress it.
The USFS was criticized for attacking the 2009 Station fire near Los Angeles on the first night and the morning of the second day withstrategy and tactics that were less than aggressive. On the second day, but no air tankers or helicopters were used the first night or until later in the morning on the second day. The fire took off at mid-morning on day two and later burned 160,000 acres and killed two firefighters. Night-flying helicopters operated by Los Angeles County were not used the first night on the fire. Hurricane Olaf bore down on the Los Cabos resort region at the tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula Thursday as authorities closed ports, prepared temporary shelters and urged people to monitor public announcements. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the eye of Olaf was close to landfall at San Jose Del Cabo late Thursday night and hurricane conditions were spreading across the southern portion of Baja California Sur.
Until the 1870's, wildfires (as today, mostly accidently or purposely human-caused) in the mountains north of Los Angeles were considered more of an attraction than a threat, especially at night. They were fondly described as "tongues of flame licking the Sierra Madre." Since few people lived on or near the mountains, fires there caused no great alarm. In fact, two cattlemen were reported to annually ignite big fires in the mountains that raised no concern. Wildfires only first became a concern in 1884 when flooding from eroded hillsides wiped out the track system of the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Los Angeles area. Authorities finally banned needless fires and even threatened to prosecute offenders. As fires and flooding resulting from fire erosion increasingly threatened property by the late 1800s, Angelenos lost their fondness for "beautiful" wildfires and demanded fire suppression.
When not in crime reporter mode, she frequents the remaining bookstores in the San Gabriel Valley, haunts craft stores or gets dragged to eateries by a relative who is a foodie. Climate change has created a new wildfire reality in California, and we are proposing the single largest investment in wildfire preparedness in our state's history – $2 billion for emergency preparedness," said Governor Newsom. "With new investments in state-of-the-art firefighting technology and equipment and a focus on building resilience through fuel breaks, forest health projects and home hardening to protect our high-risk communities, the state is more prepared than ever to face wildfire season.
Trace metal or ultra-pure (2x sub-boiling quartz distilled) grade reagents and high purity (18.2 MΩ cm) water (Milli-Q) were used for cleaning labware and processing samples. Fourteen ash and 6 soil samples, 3 procedural blanks, and triplicates of 3 National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Materials , SRM 1547 , SRM 2709 , and SRM 1633b , were processed concurrently in a Class-100 HEPA-filtered trace metal clean laboratory. Three ash samples (CWA-1, CWA-8, and CWA-14) and 2 soil samples (CWS-1 and CWS-6) were processed in triplicate. Extensive anthropogenic emissions of environmentally persistent contaminants have substantially altered the natural biogeochemical cycles of some trace metals in the biosphere over the past century –.
For example, ∼90% and 75% of atmospheric lead in California and the world, respectively, during the second half of the previous century were attributed to anthropogenic sources, predominantly the combustion of leaded gasoline . While wildfires are certainly not new to California, what is different this season is "a record level fuel and fire conditions, fire behavior that is beyond the norm . And no predicted weather relief for an extended period of time into the late fall," the Forest Service stated.
By temporarily reducing the number of people in the national forests, the Forest Service is hoping to reduce the likelihood of visitors getting trapped by blazes—and to decrease the potential for new fires. The Lake Fire, blazing about 65 miles north of Los Angeles near Lake Hughes and amid a dangerous heat wave that has caused rolling blackouts in some parts of the state, has burned 18,361 acres as of 7 p.m. There are eight wildfires burning through California's national forests as we speak, including the Tahoe-threatening Caldor Fire, so to stave off even more disastrous outcomes the federal agency in charge of the lands has decided to temporarily close them to visitors. This story was updated to include information about the closure of the Eldorado National Forest, which occurred two weeks before this order. The story was also corrected to remove Rogue River-Siskiyou and Humboldt-Toiyabe from the list of recent forest closures in California.
Four of the Golden State's recently closed national forests — Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino — are in Southern California and are popular for camping and recreation. All have been under "very high" or "extreme" fire danger for weeks. The Rogue River-Siskiyou and Humboldt-Toiyabe national forests, both of which are mostly located in other states , remain open. However, certain campgrounds and roads in Humboldt-Toiyabe have been closed because of the Caldor Fire.
Fire agencies have to choose days when the plants aren't too dry and the wind isn't too strong so they can maintain control of a prescribed burn. As the climate warms and the drought worsens, that window of opportunity has gotten smaller. That's left some local residents skeptical about whether prescribed burns work in Southern California at all. Neither were the three requests he put in for a Very Large Air Tanker. At least 18 homes have burned in a wildfire that exploded to nearly 51 square miles in dry hills and canyons, sending smoke and ash over a widespread part of Southern California.
Due to the ongoing wildfires, the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region will go into a temporary closure tonight, August 31, through at least September 17th. This means the Sky High Disc Golf Course and the North Lodge Grill & Pub will be closed for the duration. Please note, there are currently NO FIRES THREATENING MOUNTAIN HIGH though there are numerous fires burning around our state that are threatening homes and lives. In late August 2009, an arson-caused fire ignited in the Angeles National Forest, just north of the city of Los Angeles. In a few days, the Station Fire grew to become the largest fire in L.A.
County's history, burning more than 161,000 acres or 25 percent of the Angeles National Forest. Although the "Big Fire of 1919" may have been described as an enormous fire that occured in the Angeles National Forest, it was, in fact, two separate fires. On Sep. 12, 1919, the San Gabriel Fire ignited in the San Gabriel Canyon in the Angeles National Forest and burned approximately 60,000 acres. A few days later, on Sep. 15, the Ravenna Fire ignited in Big Tujunga Canyon, also in Angeles National Forest, to west of the San Gabriel Fire. The two fires, combined, burned more than 130,000 acres, but were seperated by at least 18 miles.
Due to their size and proximity in time and place, the two big fires were often described jointly, although misleadingly, as the "Big Fire of 1919." Not all areas and resources impacted by these fires will recover naturally, so forest managers and partners have launched a number of restoration efforts intended to produce ecosystems that are able to adapt and thrive over time. Projects located within the areas burned by the Copper Fire , Ranch Fire , and Sayre Fire focus on forest or upland vegetation and stream or riparian ecosystem restoration, sensitive wildlife species management, infrastructure improvements, and other beneficial projects. Outdoor recreation can be beneficial for your health but must be practiced safely. Please avoid visiting national forests if you are sick and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
Follow CDC guidance on personal hygiene and social distancing before and during your visit to the forest. He and his neighbors were taking stock of the damage, grappling with the smoky conditions, and clearing the ash from their yards and homes have banded together through the traumatizing experience. "I look at my block and everyone's just like, shit, we are all here. More than 778 homes have been destroyed and Cal Fire, the state's fire agency, report that roughly 24,650 still lay in the fire's path. "Plume-dominated wildfire behavior and pyrocumulonimbus development are possible on active large fires in the Sierra into north-east California, central Oregon, and central Idaho," the department noted. Ominous weather is again threatening areas of California as dozens of fires continue to burn, with hot, dry conditions and forecasted thunderstorms prompting officials to issue warnings through parts of the state's north-west.
The Caldor wildfire has burned more than 177,000 acres in Northern California. Nearly 500 homes have been destroyed, and authorities are issuing more evacuations. Eldorado National Forest is among the national forests that have been closed.
The closure is designed to reduce the possibility of people being trapped in the forests when wildfires break out, as well as reduce the potential for new fires to start. KCRW stands by our mission to serve our community in all the ways we can during this difficult time. We are here to provide you with local news, public health information, music for your spirit, and cultural connection. And, If at this time you are in a position to support our efforts, please consider making a donation. For years, the state has faced criticism for failing to prevent worsening fire conditions. That's after 2020 was the largest wildfire season ever, and before that, it was 2018.
That's when firefighters set blazes in areas that can be contained. A few days ago the Wildfire Lessons Learned Center posted a copy of theStation Fire Lessons Learned Report, dated October, 2010, released more than two years after the fire. The two-year delay is probably due to the firefighter fatalities and the allegations of poor decisions made during the first 24 hours of the fire. If the allegations about the less than aggressive tactics, not using night flying helicopters the first night, and a several hour delay in dispatching air tankers the next morning are true, those decisions may have prevented the fire from being contained during the first 24 hours.
