LESSONS LEARNED FROM PAST NOTABLE DISASTERS CHILE PART 5: WILDFIRES Walter Hays, Global Alliance for...
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Transcript of LESSONS LEARNED FROM PAST NOTABLE DISASTERS CHILE PART 5: WILDFIRES Walter Hays, Global Alliance for...
LESSONS LEARNED FROM PAST NOTABLE DISASTERS
CHILEPART 5: WILDFIRES
Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna,
Virginia, USA
NATURAL HAZARDS THAT HAVE CAUSED NATURAL HAZARDS THAT HAVE CAUSED DISASTERS IN CHILEDISASTERS IN CHILE
NATURAL HAZARDS THAT HAVE CAUSED NATURAL HAZARDS THAT HAVE CAUSED DISASTERS IN CHILEDISASTERS IN CHILE
FLOODS
WINDSTORMS
EARTHQUAKES/TSUNAMIS
VOLCANOES
WILDFIRES
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
HIGH BENEFIT/COST FROM BECOMING DISASTER NRESILIENT
HIGH BENEFIT/COST FROM BECOMING DISASTER NRESILIENT
GOAL: PROTECT PEOPLE GOAL: PROTECT PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIESAND COMMUNITIES
GOAL: PROTECT PEOPLE GOAL: PROTECT PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIESAND COMMUNITIES
Natural Phenomena that Cause Disasters
Planet Earth’s atmospheric-lithospheric interactions create situations favorable for Wildfires (AKA BUSHFIRES)
CHILE’S CITIES
WILDFIRES are conflagrations caused by
lightning discharges (or acts of man) in wilderness areas close enough to one or more urban
interfaces that they threaten people, property, infrastructure, and
business enterprise.
WILDFIRES are conflagrations caused by
lightning discharges (or acts of man) in wilderness areas close enough to one or more urban
interfaces that they threaten people, property, infrastructure, and
business enterprise.
SCIENCE OF WILDFIRES
LOCATIONS OF 2012’S NOTABLE WILDFIRES
WILDFIRE HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS)
• FIRE
• HOT GASES AND SMOKE
• HOT SPOTS
• BURNED OUT SLOPES (with increased susceptibility to insect infestation, erosion, and landslides)
WILDFIRE HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS)
• SUNDOWNER WINDS
• LOCAL CHANGES IN AIR QUALITY
• LOCAL CHANGES IN WEATHER
LIGHTNING STRIKES
WILDFIRES (AKA BUSHFIRES)
WILDFIRES (AKA BUSHFIRES)
MANMADE FIRES
PROXIMITY OF URBAN AREA TO THE WILDLAND FIRE
WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION (DAY/NIGHT DIFFERENCES)
DRYNESS
HIGH TEMPERATURES
LOCAL FUEL SUPPLY
CAUSES OF DAMAGE
CAUSES OF DAMAGE
DISASTER LABORATORIES
DISASTER LABORATORIES
LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT DISASTER RESILIENCE
ALL WILDFIRES PREPAREDNESFOR THE EXPECTED AND UNEXPEDTED IS ESSENTIAL FOR DISASTER RESILIENCE
LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT DISASTER RESILIENCE
ALL WILDFIRES TIMELY EMERGENCY RESPONSE IS ESSENTIAL FOR DISASTER RESILIENCE
LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT DISASTER RESILIENCE
ALL WILDFIRES
EARLY WARN-ING (THE ISS) AND EVACUATION ARE ESSENTIAL FOR DISASTER RESILIENCE
NOTABLE WILDFIRES IN CHILE
2012’s wildfires - the worst Chile has seen in years - were worsened by
strong winds, high temperatures and exceptionally dry conditions
Chile's southern regions, normally experiencing rain in
January, were suffering instead from a nationwide
heat wave on top of a drought; two factors that
make wildfires more likely.
LOCATIONS
Nearly 50 wildfires in southern Chile destroyed hundreds of
houses, forced the evacuation of thousands of people, and caused millions of dollars in damage to the forestry and
tourism industries.
TORRE DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK (AFTER THE DEC. 2011 FIRES)
WILDFIRE IN BIO BIO REGION: JAN. 4, 2012
• The worst of the blazes were concentrated in Chile's Bio Bio region, where about 24,800 hectares were destroyed
BIO BIO (QUILLON AREA) WILDFIRE: JAN 5, 2012
QUILLON AREA WILDFIRE: JAN 5, 2012
AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK: QUILLON AREA WILDFIRE: JAN 5, 2012
A POSSIBLE TASK: FIGHTING THE QUILLON AREA WILDFIRE
FIGHTING THE QUILLON WILDFIRES
WILDFIRE IN BIO BIO REGION: JAN. 4, 2012
• Helicopters fight a massive forest fire affecting the commune of Ranquil, in southern Chile's Bio Bio region, 450 km (275 mi) south of Santiago.
FIGHTING THE BIO BIO WILDFIRES
IMPACTS: WILDFIRES IN BIO BIO REGION: JAN. 4, 2012
• 600 people were evacuated from the area
• 160 homes destroyed.
WILDFIRE IN ARAUCANIA REGION: JAN. 5, 2012
• Seven firefighters died after being trapped by flames when the wind suddenly changed direction.
• They were part of a team trying to extinguish a blaze near Carahue in the Araucania region, about 700 km (434 miles) south of the capital Santiago.
ARAUCANIA WILDFIRE: JAN 5, 2012
Mapuche Indians blamed for starting the deadly wildfires
ARAUCANIA WILDFIRE: FALLEN FIREFIGHTER
7 FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS
ELEMENTS OF HAZARDS AND RISK
HAZARDSHAZARDSHAZARDSHAZARDS
ELEMENTS OF WILDFIRE RISK ELEMENTS OF WILDFIRE RISK ELEMENTS OF WILDFIRE RISK ELEMENTS OF WILDFIRE RISK
EXPOSUREEXPOSUREEXPOSUREEXPOSURE
VULNERABILITYVULNERABILITYVULNERABILITYVULNERABILITY LOCATIONLOCATIONLOCATIONLOCATION
RISKRISKRISKRISK
A DISASTER CAN HAPPENWHEN THE
POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS OF A WILDFIRE INTERACT WITH
CHILE’S COMMUNITIES
A DISASTER CAN HAPPENWHEN THE
POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS OF A WILDFIRE INTERACT WITH
CHILE’S COMMUNITIES
A DISASTER is ---
--- the set of failures that overwhelm the capability of a community to respond without external help when three continuums: 1) people, 2) community (i.e., a set of habitats, livelihoods, and social constructs), and 3) complex events (e.g., wildfires, floods,…) intersect at a point in space and time.
Disasters are caused by single- or multiple-event natural hazards that, (for various reasons), cause
extreme levels of mortality, morbidity, homelessness,
joblessness, economic losses, or environmental impacts.
THE REASONS ARE . . .
• When it does happen, the functions of the community’s buildings and infrastructure can be LOST.
THE REASONS ARE . . .
• The community is UN-PREPARED for what will likely happen, not to mention the low-probability of occurrence—high-probability of adverse consequences event.
THE REASONS ARE . . .
• The community has NO DISASTER PLANNING SCENARIO or WARNING SYSTEM in place as a strategic framework for early threat identification and coordinated local, national, regional, and international countermeasures.
THE REASONS ARE . . .
• The community LACKS THE CAPACITY TO RESPOND in a timely and effective manner to the full spectrum of expected and unexpected emergency situations.
THE REASONS ARE . . .
• The community is INEFFICIENT during recovery and reconstruction because it HAS NOT LEARNED from either the current experience or the cumulative prior experiences.
THE ALTERNATIVE TO A WILDFIRE DISASTER IS
WILDFIRE DISASTER RESILIENCE
THE ALTERNATIVE TO A WILDFIRE DISASTER IS
WILDFIRE DISASTER RESILIENCE
CHILE’SCHILE’S
COMMUNITIESCOMMUNITIES
CHILE’SCHILE’S
COMMUNITIESCOMMUNITIESDATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATIONDATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATION
HAZARDS: GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN UP AFTERSHOCKS
•WILDFIRE HAZARDS•PEOPLE & BLDGS. •VULNERABILITY•LOCATION
WILDFIRE RISK WILDFIRE RISK
RISK
ACCEPTABLE RISK
UNACCEPTABLE RISK
GOAL: WILDFIRE GOAL: WILDFIRE DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE
• PREPAREDNESS•PROTECTION•EARLY WARNING•EMERGENCY RESPONSE•RECOVERY and RECONSTRUCTION
POLICY OPTIONSPOLICY OPTIONS
MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES AND WARNING SYSTEMS ARE A VITAL PART OF SURVIVAL.
TECHNOLOGIES FOR MONITORING, FORECASTING, AND WARNING ARE VITAL FOR
SURVIVAL.
THE FACTS: SURVIVORS OF A WILDFIRE HAVE TO START OVER
LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT DISASTER RESILIENCE
ALL WILDFIRES
RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION USUALLY MEANS STARTING OVER.