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<br /> <br />Vcnlur.I <br /> <br />COUHTY BOUNDARIES <br />C F'U! PERIMETER <br />MAJOR HIGHWAYS <br />* OIIASTER APPUCATlON CENTER <br />:i. <br />)." <br />J)); .\ .JJ:.,C <br />~'J '7" <br />'.. <br />'':../... <br /> <br />t <br />N <br /> <br />!IUS <br />211- <br /> <br />I <br />'" <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />La Angoeh <br /> <br /> <br />SMs.rr...allb <br /> <br />MLLCREEK <br /> <br />... GUEJITO <br />~- <br />." <br />OLOCOACH <br /> <br />Erosion and sediment control: <br />Preventing additional disasters after <br />the Southern California fires <br /> <br />Carol L. Forrest and Michael V. Harding <br /> <br />Wildfires arc a common occurrence in <br />Southern California and much of <br />the Scate's biologic and geologic <br />character is a direct result of a cycle of fire. <br />flood, and regeneration of plant communities. <br />many of which have adapted [0 this dis[Ur- <br />bance. However. while the impact of fires <br />might be considered a natural phenomenon in <br />wild lands and lef[ largely unatrended, where <br />human population and resources arc affected by <br />the fire cycle. mitigation activities designed to <br />reduce the potencial for flooding and mud <br />flows must be included as pan of that cycle:. <br />.In the fall of 1993. 20 separate fires burned <br />" 186.000 acres of Southern California. ex- <br />~ending from northern Los Angeles Couney to <br />southern San Diego County and the Mexican <br />border (Figure I). Nearly 1.200 homes were de- <br /> <br />stroyed and four people lost their lives. Unlike <br />the East Bay Firesmrm in Oakland, California <br />(1991) where 3.100 structures were destroyed <br />in an 1,800 acre densc:ly populated urban area, <br />[he majority of acreage on which the 1993 fires <br />occurred was in wild lands, or away from urban <br />centers rrable 1). However, at the urban inter- <br />face where wild lands and dc:vc:lopment meet, <br />the hazard from post-fire flooding, erosion, sed- <br />imentation, and mud flows can directly impact <br />human populations. In the crucible that con~ <br />5titutes post-fire disaster planning and imple- <br />mentation, it is the potential occurrence of this <br />second disaster which challenges federal, state <br />and local government entities to allocate <br />human and financial resources and focus them <br />into immediate and effective actions. <br />This article presents information on the post. <br /> <br />Figure 1. Overview 01 <br />Southern Call1ornla <br />Ilres 011993 <br /> <br />NOVEMBER.DECEMBER 19'J4 535 <br />