1. Chaparral Wildfire: The Changing Fire Environment in Southern California Mike Rohde Battalion Chief Orange County Fire Authority U.S. Geological Survey 2006 Congressional Briefing Series - Wildfire / Landslides

2. Distribution of chaparral in California 7 key types: Ceanothus Red Shank Chamise Manzanita Scrub Oak Montane Mixed From Keeley, J.E. and F.W. Davis. 2006.. Millions of Californian’s live near chaparral wildlands, creating one of the most fire prone environments on earth

3. (Data: Keeley and Fotheringham) Studies by the USGS and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection show a direct correlation between population growth and fire frequency California has a growing wildland fire problem!

4. USGS studies have redefined the fire regime for Southern California and caused fire agencies to rethink how we pre-treat fuels to protect structures. 2003: 26 lives, 4,676 structures 739,000 acres lost R.Krause photo

5. More frequent fire has had negative environmental consequences, and long-term beliefs about prescribed fire use in chaparral have been challenged. Chaparral fire regimes are unlike western forest fires in timber types Alien grassland, Escondido, CA Native chaparral, Temecula, CA

6. Fuel type conversion caused by too frequent fire is replacing native forest, shrub, and desert ecosystems with non-native vegetation… Contributing to a cycle of ever-greater fire frequency, destabilized watersheds, landscape change, and natural resource loss. These changes need further understanding and new research, such as the proposed USGS Southern California Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project R.W. Halsey photo

7. The flood and debris flow sequence that follows Southern California watershed fires has been as lethal as the wildfires themselves. 16 people died in San Bernardino County, Christmas Day- 2003, during flooding from hills burned by the Grand Prix-Old Fires two months earlier. Photos: California State University, Long Beach

8. What should the frequency and placement of prescribed fire be to best achieve habitat and fire hazard reduction needs? R.W. Halsey photo

9. How are fuels and fire behavior changing? Orange County Register photo

10. California Fire Services must have access to, and be a partner of future USGS study, and use this research to guide ut ilization of limited fire service resources to meet changing fire threats San Diego Union Tribune photo