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October 2007 California Wildfires
EPA's Emergency Operations Center in San Francisco monitored the southern California wildfires and deployed personnel to the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) Joint Field Office in Pasadena, CA; the National Response Coordination Center in Washington, DC; and EPA's equipment warehouse in Signal Hill, CA to assist in responding to the fires. EPA identified facilities (i.e., chemical plants, petroleum refineries) that contain hazardous materials to evaluate the potential risks posed by releases should they be impacted by the fires. EPA is also coordinating a plan for household hazardous waste removal and debris disposal with the California EPA and local agencies in southern California. See the web sites below for more information about the fires.
Resources for up-to-date Information about the wildfires and resources to help people living or working in burned areas:
Air Monitoring Equipment
EPA's air monitoring plane (ASPECT) and mobile laboratory (TAGA) were deployed to California to provide emergency responders with information on air quality data, if requested.
- State of California information, including fire maps and other resources
- FEMA: How to get food, water and a place to stay; how to apply for assistance; how to help
- USA.gov: Finding friends and family; donating and volunteering
- Google Maps: Fire Locations
- En
español: Incendios en California – Información
y asistencia del gobierno
- Air quality information in Southern California:
- Health and safety information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Asthma, Wildfires, and Air Quality Information
General Information
Incendios
Before a Wildfire Happens and During a Wildfire
Air Quality and Health Information
- Learn how to tell if smoke is affecting you and how to protect yourself
- Understand how smoke from fires can affect your health | (PDF version (2 pp., 446K, about PDF)
- National outlook for tomorrow's air quality
- Map of today's national air quality forecast
More Federal Government Links
After a Wildfire Strikes
Air Quality and Health Information
If you return to your home or other building after it's been hit by a wildfire, you should be aware that smoldering materials in the building may produce many pollutants. Many adverse health conditions can be caused by inhaling or ingesting even small amounts of these pollutants. Small children, the elderly, or people with preexisting respiratory conditions can be especially vulnerable to some of these pollutants.
- More information about pollutants produced by burning materials
- Asthma: wildfires and air quality
- Health and environmental effects of particulate matter
More Federal Government Links