Monday, September 30, 2013

[californiadisasters] San Bernardino Forest Fire-Prevention Strategy: Close It



A strategy also in use elsewhere aims to head off fire in the San Bernardino National Forest by closing areas before it can happen.

By Scott Gold | Los Angeles Times

September 30, 2013, 7:23 p.m.

Gabe Garcia and John Miller stood the other day at the rim of Cucamonga Canyon, dwarfed by the spires of peaks with names that evoke old, wild California — Timber, Telegraph, Bighorn.

They were supposed to be alone.

They were not.

"Red shorts! White shirt!"

Garcia, a San Bernardino National Forest district ranger, barked the description to Miller, his Forest Service colleague, who yanked a pair of binoculars to his eyes.

The hikers were there, sure enough, but far away, deep in the folds of the canyon. From the spot where Garcia and Miller were standing, 40 miles east of Los Angeles, there wasn't much chance of catching them. But if the hikers were caught, they'd face a federal citation that could bring a $5,000 fine and six months in prison — for walking through public land, on a path taken thousands of times before.

Things are different this year in the San Bernardino National Forest. Cucamonga Canyon, a wildly popular natural area above Rancho Cucamonga, has been closed to the public by the Forest Service.

The problem, and the reason for the closure, is fire. Not a fire that has already happened — a fire that might happen. For the first time in decades, according to the Forest Service, Cucamonga Canyon has been closed for the duration of wildfire season to the people who own it, to save it from them, and from itself.

With California seemingly in a now annual state of heightened wildfire danger, this unusual step could become increasingly common. Similar fire-protection closures have been ordered in New Mexico and Arizona, according to Forest Service officials in Washington.

"This is the most extreme fire-prevention tool that we have," Miller said. And Garcia said he's weighing using it, during this most extreme fire season, to close several other wilderness areas to public access.

"That's the $64,000 question," Miller said. "Is this a part of our management strategy? If we're set up to be in a multiyear drought, it definitely will be something we'll consider."

Garcia stabbed the toe of his dusty boot into the ground beneath a yerba santa shrub. He pointed to its leaves, which were browning at the edges and curling up. "It's just out of water," he said.

Firefighters have been bracing for a terrible fire season since the spring. The year has brought one ominous sign after another. There were significant spring fires in Inyo County, for instance, long before that part of the state typically sees that kind of activity. State fire officials reported in April that they had recorded 150 more blazes — well before fire season — than at that point in 2012.

Veteran firefighters tend to ascribe personalities to fires, and those conversations have taken on an ominous tone this year. Miller was among the authorities who responded to the Summit fire near Banning earlier this year — and he watched as a routine brush fire exploded over 3,000 acres in little more than a day, and burned straight through the night. "In May!" he said with astonishment.

"The fire activity this year has just been different," Garcia said. "These things are just not wanting to come under control."

The fire season already includes the 400-plus-square-mile Rim fire in and around Yosemite National Park, which was ignited in mid-August by a hunter's illegal campfire. It has become one of the largest fires in California history, so large that its effect on patches of the Stanislaus National Forest is likely to last for decades.

Against this backdrop, Cucamonga Canyon began to look like a trail of gunpowder strewn through the thirsty mountains.

Cucamonga Canyon, which many people call Sapphire Falls, after the stream-fed pools that serve as the hike's turnabout, has seen heavy use for decades. But in recent years, the area's popularity has exploded spread through social media; on a hot day, despite limited parking adjacent to residential streets, it's not unusual to find 100 people gathered at the main stream pool alone.

Some of those people are not in it for an untainted nature experience.

The rock walls surrounding the main pool, and scores of large rocks along the walking path there, are covered with graffiti. Alcohol use is rampant; beer cans and empty 12-pack boxes are a common sight. And during a recent survey, forest officials found evidence of more than 70 illegal campfires in the flats below the falls.

A fire there, on a busy day, would be a disaster. The area is in year two of a severe drought; this year, authorities have recorded a quarter of what is considered a normal level of precipitation. Hikers, meanwhile, have one way in, and one way out. They are surrounded on all sides by dense, dry vegetation. The canyon's steep walls would act as a furnace, funneling flames directly toward the spots where people gather.

Garcia knows this much: "I'm not going in there. Not right now."

And so, in August, with a heavy heart, Garcia made the difficult decision to shut it down — closing 1,650 acres to public use until the area is saturated with rain. That could be soon, but it could be in 2014 too.

"It's the people's forest — they should have access to it," Garcia said. "But in the end, I didn't have much of a choice. It's hard."

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/la-me-cucamonga-wildfire-20131001,0,507093.story


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Re: [californiadisasters] Santa Ana Wind Fire Weather Watch (9/30/13-PM)



Here we go with the beginning of the "season."    This is going to be a risky few days for some L.A. communities.    Early to mid-October have traditionally been the most disastrous time for fires.

Jason
 
In a message dated 9/30/2013 9:49:02 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, kimnoyes@gmail.com writes:
 

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING FOR MODERATE SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW  HUMIDITY FOR VENTURA COUNTY AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY EXCLUDING  ANTELOPE VALLEY...    .CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AS MODERATE SANTA  ANA WINDS COMBINE WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY THURSDAY EVENING  THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING AND A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT.  CONFIDENCE IS RELATIVELY HIGH AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS  INTO THE GREAT BASIN THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AND THEN SHIFTS  EAST WHILE WEAKENING SATURDAY. THE SANTA ANA WINDS ARE EXPECTED  PEAK FRIDAY MIDDAY AND THEN PERSIST WHILE WEAKENING FRIDAY  AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE 5 TO 10  DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WITH POOR TO MODERATE RELATIVE HUMIDITY  RECOVERY. RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO FALL SHARPLY INTO THE  MID TEENS FRIDAY MORNING AND BY SATURDAY WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGIT  HUMIDITY WILL EXTEND FROM THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO THE LOWER  ELEVATIONS.    CAZ240-244-245-253-011700-  /O.NEW.KLOX.FW.A.0004.131004T0400Z-131006T0200Z/  VENTURA COUNTY COAST-VENTURA COUNTY INTERIOR VALLEYS-  VENTURA COUNTY COASTAL VALLEYS-  VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS / LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST-  235 PM PDT MON SEP 30 2013    ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING FOR GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE  HUMIDITY FOR VENTURA COUNTY...    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES/OXNARD HAS ISSUED A  FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE  HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING.    * WINDS...NORTHEAST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH IN THE    FAVORED RIDGES AND CANYONS AND 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH    ELSEWHERE.    * TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT AND PEAK MIDDAY    FRIDAY AND THEN PERSIST THROUGH SATURDAY.    * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MID TEENS FRIDAY AND SINGLE DIGITS SATURDAY    WITH POOR OVERNIGHT RECOVERY.    * TEMPERATURES...5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMAL...UPPER 70S    TO MID 80S IN THE MOUNTAINS TO UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S IN THE    VALLEYS AND MID 70S NEAR THE BEACHES.    * IMPACTS...IF FIRE IGNITION OCCURS THERE COULD BE RAPID SPREAD    OF WILDFIRE THAT WOULD LEAD TO A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...    A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS  ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR  FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS FIRE WEATHER WATCH. LISTEN FOR  LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG WARNINGS.    &&    $$

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA  235 PM PDT MON SEP 30 2013    ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING FOR MODERATE SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW  HUMIDITY FOR VENTURA COUNTY AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY EXCLUDING  ANTELOPE VALLEY...    .CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AS MODERATE SANTA  ANA WINDS COMBINE WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY THURSDAY EVENING  THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING AND A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT.  CONFIDENCE IS RELATIVELY HIGH AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS  INTO THE GREAT BASIN THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AND THEN SHIFTS  EAST WHILE WEAKENING SATURDAY. THE SANTA ANA WINDS ARE EXPECTED  PEAK FRIDAY MIDDAY AND THEN PERSIST WHILE WEAKENING FRIDAY  AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE 5 TO 10  DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WITH POOR TO MODERATE RELATIVE HUMIDITY  RECOVERY. RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO FALL SHARPLY INTO THE  MID TEENS FRIDAY MORNING AND BY SATURDAY WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGIT  HUMIDITY WILL EXTEND FROM THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO THE LOWER  ELEVATIONS.    CAZ241-246-254-288-547-548-011700-  /O.NEW.KLOX.FW.A.0004.131004T0400Z-131006T0200Z/  LOS ANGELES COUNTY COAST INCLUDING DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES-  SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS RECREATIONAL AREA-  LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS / ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST-  SANTA CLARITA VALLEY-LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN FERNANDO VALLEY-  LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN GABRIEL VALLEY-  235 PM PDT MON SEP 30 2013    ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING FOR GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE  HUMIDITY FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY EXCLUDING ANTELOPE VALLEY...    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES/OXNARD HAS ISSUED A  FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE  HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING.    * WINDS...NORTHEAST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH IN THE    FAVORED RIDGES AND CANYONS AND 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH    ELSEWHERE.    * TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT AND PEAK MIDDAY    FRIDAY AND THEN PERSIST THROUGH SATURDAY.    * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MID TEENS FRIDAY AND SINGLE DIGITS SATURDAY    WITH POOR OVERNIGHT RECOVERY.    * TEMPERATURES...5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMAL...UPPER 70S    TO MID 80S IN THE MOUNTAINS TO UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S IN THE    VALLEYS AND MID 70S NEAR THE BEACHES.    * IMPACTS...IF FIRE IGNITION OCCURS THERE COULD BE RAPID SPREAD    OF WILDFIRE THAT WOULD LEAD TO A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...    A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS  ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR  FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS FIRE WEATHER WATCH. LISTEN FOR  LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG WARNINGS.  
Source: NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard



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[californiadisasters] 'The Old FEMA Is Gone': Craig Fugate's Cleaned-Up FEMA



'The old FEMA is gone': Craig Fugate's cleaned-up FEMA

By Elizabeth Chuck, Staff Writer, NBC News

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, beginning to assess the damage wrought by disastrous flooding in his state, earlier this week stood next to FEMA administrator Craig Fugate at a news conference and expressed the highest praise possible for the federal agency — and its current boss.

"The old FEMA is gone," he said, seeming to reference the agency as it was under and after Michael Brown, who resigned after the disorganized response to Hurricane Katrina eight years ago.

Fugate, 53, is known among colleagues for his quirky "thunderbolt" exercises and unique Waffle House litmus test. More important: he's turned the once-bruised agency's reputation around since taking over as FEMA administrator in May 2009.

"He's not your typical government bureaucrat," said Max Mayfield, former director of the National Hurricane Center, who has known Fugate since the early 1990s, when Fugate was an emergency manager in Alachua County, Fla.

Hit by a 'thunderbolt'

To best prepare his employees for a diversity of disaster situations, Fugate makes them undergo surprise drills that they are "terrified of," according to Mayfield.

"He would call these 'thunderbolts,'" Mayfield said. "He'd walk into the emergency operations center and say, 'There's a fire, the telephones are out, the Internet's out, what are you going to do about it? There's a hurricane coming, what are you going to do?' And they actually go through the drill."

Fugate has also developed a signature way of determining how much aid a community needs after a disaster.

"If a Waffle House is damaged but open, keep driving. If it's totally knocked out, that's where you stop," Mayfield said. 

Fugate told The New York Times in 2012 of his Waffle House theory, "Waffle House has a very simple operational philosophy: get open. They never close. They run 24 hours a day."

"They have a corporate philosophy that if there is a hurricane or a storm, they try and get their stores open. It don't matter if they don't have power, it don't matter if you don't have gas. They have procedures that if they can get a generator in there, they'll get going. They'll make coffee with bottled water," he added.

Prepared by Florida 

Fugate — born William Craig Fugate at a Jacksonville, Fla., naval air station — got involved in emergency services at a young age. Both his parents died before he finished high school. Orphaned, he found a passion in volunteering as a firefighter. He attended Florida State Fire College, and then was a paramedic for Alachua County. He was promoted to fire department lieutenant, and then was appointed emergency manager in 1987.

After serving as county emergency manager for 10 years, Fugate became the deputy director of the Florida Emergency Management Division, a stepping stone to becoming director in 2001. The appointment by the Republican governor at the time, Jeb Bush, showed the respect Fugate, a Democrat, had already garnered at that stage in his career.

There, he faced challenges that would prepare him for leading FEMA: He oversaw his state's response to about two dozen hurricanes, storms, and fires.

"Because he has such a wealth of experience as an emergency manager, be it at the local or state level, and in a state that is no stranger to disasters, the fact that he comes from the emergency management community rather than another area, commands a certain amount of legitimacy [as FEMA administrator]," said Tricia Wachtendorf, the associate director of the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware. "This isn't just a political appointee."

Still, Fugate isn't without his critics. While he was praised for guiding Floridians through myriad hurricanes, he received criticism for not distributing enough water, ice and other supplies after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Fugate had told residents before the storm that they should have enough supplies for three days after Wilma passed through, but many did not.

Fixing FEMA's reputation

By the time Obama nominated Fugate for the top FEMA slot in 2009, the agency itself had been battered. Ever since its delayed, disorganized response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 under George W. Bush and then-FEMA administrator Michael Brown, FEMA had become a punchline, and the nickname "Brownie" became shorthand for incompetence.

Brown resigned over his controversial handling of Katrina, making way for acting administrator R. David Paulison to lead FEMA. But the agency still hadn't found its footing four years later.

While Katrina was Brown's huge test, Hurricane Sandy was Fugate's. He passed: New Jersey Chris Christie said on TODAY in the days following the storm, "The president has been outstanding in this and so have the folks at FEMA," and officials from other storm-ravaged states praised the agency as well.

"After Hurricane Sandy, FEMA was regarded as actually fulfilling its role and was a very effective agency in helping people recover," said Jim Fraser, a Vanderbilt University professor who has done multiple projects looking at FEMA disaster mitigation.

Despite that, he said, FEMA still struggles with major debt from its national flood insurance program, Fraser said.

"With the resources that FEMA has, they're doing a good job. But given the increasing number of hurricanes and flooding events, they need more resources," he said.

In the months following Sandy, FEMA hit a significant snag: it decided it would use re-drawn flood maps in Sandy-affected areas, which would have forced homeowners and businesses to pay thousands more in flood insurance premiums with no notice — a move that drew outrage. The maps were later revised. But many people still have yet to return to their homes, waiting for money and direction on how to get their homes up to code. 

When Fugate isn't darting across the country from one disaster to the next, he spends time with his wife, Sheree, who he married in 2002, and enjoys sea kayaking.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/22/20578618-the-old-fema-is-gone-craig-fugates-cleaned-up-fema?lite&utm_content=buffer3032e&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Buffer&goback=.gde_3833131_member_275814335#!



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[californiadisasters] Yarnell Fire Report Fails To Answer Key Question



This Has Also Happened In CA Before And Will Again!

Craig Harris and Dennis Wagner, The Arizona Republic 7:51 a.m. EDT September 29, 2013

PHOENIX — An investigative report released Saturday on the Yarnell Hill Fire that killed 19 firefighters found "no indication of negligence, recklessness actions or violations of policy or protocol" on the part of the firefighters, and concluded that the fire that overtook the men was not survivable.

The report, released by the Yarnell Hill Fire Serious Accident Investigation Team, leaves unanswered a major question: Why the Granite Mountain Hotshots left the relative safety atop a ridge that had been previously burned to descend into a bowl where they were later trapped and killed.

"We don't have it. That decision-making process went with those men," said Florida State Forester Jim Karels, who led the investigation. "I try and step back and stand on that mountain where that crew was and try to figure out what they did and why."

Karels said the investigative team decided the firefighters "stayed within their boundaries and management made the best decisions they could make at the time they made them."

The report says that fire commanders assumed until just before the hotshots died that the team was still safely atop a nearby ridge "in the black," a reference to charred ground that has already burned.

yarnell

In this file photo shot by firefighter Andrew Ashcraft, members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots watch a growing wildfire that later swept over and killed the crew of 19 firefighters near Yarnell, Ariz., June 30.(Photo: AP)

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer issued a statement Saturday afternoon lamenting the tragedy.

"The Yarnell Hill Fire always will be remembered for the loss of our brave 19 firefighters from the elite Granite Mountain Hotshots. The tragic human toll felt by their families, friends and the community is truly immeasurable," Brewer said.

Karels and Mike Dudley, an investigator with the U.S. Forest Service, said the investigative team did not compile a report other than the one released Saturday. Officials said guidelines by the National Interagency Fire Center, which instruct those who conduct fatality inquires to keep confidential the causes of the tragedy, are just guidelines and that no other reports were drafted.

The report states temperatures exceeded 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit — the temperature of lava from a volcano — and the hotshots had less than two minutes to improve a deployment site and try to save themselves.

Read the full report on the Yarnell Hill Fire deaths

While the report laid no blame for the tragedy, it found that radio communications were "challenging throughout the incident" and that "some radios were not programmed with appropriate tone guards" but were later fixed. It also noted the command structure for fighting the fire changed several times in just 20 hours.

It also found there were mix-ups over air support. Investigators noted that one air tanker was grounded because of an oil leak. A second one was held on the tarmac as fire officials decided whether to send it to a dangerous fire near Kingman. However, the report found that lack of air support did not affect the outcome of the fire or cause the hotshots' deaths.

The Granite Mountain Hotshots were overcome by flames June 30 in a chaparral canyon about 35 miles south of Prescott when the fire, pushed by monsoon-storm winds, became an inferno and changed directions. The death toll was the highest from a U.S. wildfire in at least a half-century.

The Arizona Division of Forestry, which directed firefighting efforts, commissioned an interagency task force of experts headed by Florida forester Jim Karels to investigate causes and contributing factors to the catastrophe.

Jim_Karels

Jim Karels, a state forester with the Florida Forest Service, who was on the team to investigate the deaths of the 19 firefighters battling the Yarnell Hill Fire, addresses the media July 3.(Photo: David Wallace, The Arizona Republic)

"Our mission was to find out what happened and to discern the facts surrounding this tragedy to the best of our ability," Karels said. "We also hope this report facilitates learning within the wildland fire community in order to reduce the likelihood of repeating actions that contributed to the loss of life."

Karels said the 116-page report includes a "fact-based narrative of the incident and offers the investigation team's analysis, conclusions and recommendations." He added it includes a discussion section that is meant to facilitate understanding and learning by exploring various perspectives and issues that arose during the investigation.

The report was released publicly at 10 a.m. MT Saturday in Prescott, after being shared privately with family members of the firefighters and Gov. Jan Brewer.

The report found:

That no one asked the Granite Mountain Hotshots to move to a new location, where they were killed. Instead, the report assumes, "they decided this on their own, believing they could re-engage and help defend Yarnell."

The hotshots left a lunch spot and traveled southeast on the two-track road near the ridge top. Then, they descended from the two-track road and took the most direct route towards Boulder Springs Ranch, where investigators believe "the crew was attempting to reposition so they could re-engage."

On Sunday morning, June 30, the fire had kicked up and incident commanders began requesting tankers. They ordered two large tankers, or LAT, and one very large tanker, or VLAT. The large aircraft flew from Albuquerque and Durango, Colo., but both were diverted en route so they could serve the Dean Peak Fire southeast of Kingman.

Dispatchers ordered another tanker from Fort Huachuca and a huge C-130 from Pueblo, Colo., which was specially fitted to drop fire retardant. But the Pueblo flight was grounded by bad weather and the Fort Huachuca tanker didn't lift off until 10:33 a.m. By 11 a.m., the Yarnell Hill Fire had already consumed 1,500 acres.

Besides issuing findings, members of the review team are expected to reveal how they conducted the probe and whether they adhered to guidelines from the National Interagency Fire Center, which urges investigators not to publicly divulge causes of wildfire accidents.

Lightning ignited the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 28, and it remained seemingly calm for two days before a storm front descended and pushed a wall of flames through drought-cured hills at 12 mph. A relatively small brush fire that covered only a few hundred acres exploded across 13 square miles and swept into rural communities.

Homes burn as a fire approaches Glenn Ilah on June 30 in Yarnell, Ariz.
Homes burn as a fire approaches Glenn Ilah on June 30 in Yarnell, Ariz.  David Kadlubowski, AP
  • Homes burn as a fire approaches Glenn Ilah on June 30 in Yarnell, Ariz.
  • Tanker 910 makes a retardant drop on the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30.
  • Homes burn as the Yarnell Hill Fire approaches in Glenn Ilah on June 30.
  • A fire engine moves along Hays Ranch Road as the Yarnell Hill Fire advances on Peeples Valley, Ariz., on June 30.
  • Homes are destroyed as the Yarnell Hill Fire burns in Glenn Ilah.
  • The Yarnell Hill Fire burns through the town of Yarnell, Ariz.
  • Dean Smith watches as the Yarnell Hill Fire encroaches on his home in Glenn Ilah.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from Yarnell, Glen Ilah and Peeples Valley as flames destroyed 127 homes.

The hotshots, who had been hand-cutting firebreaks along the blaze's flank, were forced to retreat. Photographic evidence indicates they left the safety of a previously burned area and descended into a blind canyon where they were trapped by flames. The 19 men deployed protective shelters in a desperate bid to survive, but were overcome by a wall of fire so hot that it fractured boulders and incinerated vegetation.

In addition to the Serious Accident Investigation, the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health is conducting a probe to determine whether workplace regulations were violated. That report must be completed by the end of the year.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office conducted an accident-scene review and obtained autopsy results, but many of those documents have not been released and are the subject of a public-records lawsuit filed by The Arizona Republic and KPNX-TV in Phoenix.

Within days of the tragedy, while investigations were underway, some experts and media outlets began offering opinions as to what went wrong. Among their assertions: The crew died because of a shortage of slurry tankers. The fire blew out of control because the response on June 28 and 29 was inadequate. The hotshots inexplicably violated safety rules, leading to their demise.

Wildfire-fatality reviews historically have confronted causality questions head-on, identifying contributing factors such as weather conditions and aberrant fire behavior along with command errors, equipment problems, communication failures and misjudgments by those who died. The inquiries are designed to establish "lessons learned" for training purposes.

In recent years, however, commanders and crews have become concerned that investigations may be used unfairly in criminal prosecutions or lawsuits directed at public servants who make instantaneous decisions in the heat of firefights.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/28/yarnell-fire-report-fails-to-answer-key-question/2887903/


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[californiadisasters] CAL FIRE Statewide Sit-Rep (9/30/13)



CAL FIRE shares the fiery hot skivvy on fire conditions and activity spanning our state:
http://youtu.be/qpG3-RzCEag


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[californiadisasters] Santa Ana Wind Weather Bulletin (9/30/13-PM)



...POTENTIAL FOR A VERY WARM AND DRY SANTA ANA WIND EVENT WITH     HIGH FIRE DANGER LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...    ON THURSDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DIG  SOUTHWARD INTO THE GREAT BASIN WHILE AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH  PRESSURE BUILDS OFF THE WEST COAST. INITIALLY...DRY NORTHERLY  WINDS WILL IMPACT SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES ON  THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS  INTO NEVADA...THE LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST  ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY  MORNING...WITH GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS FORECASTED TO PERSIST THROUGH  SATURDAY.    PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS SUGGEST THIS SANTA ANA WIND EVENT WILL BE  SLIGHTLY STRONGER AND DRIER THAN OUR LAST EVENT ON FRIDAY. THE FOCUS  OF THE OFFSHORE WINDS WILL BE LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES.  MOUNTAIN AREAS COULD SEE WIND GUSTS IN THE 40 TO 50 MPH  RANGE...WHILE COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS WILL GENERALLY EXPERIENCE GUSTS  BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH. THE GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS ARE EXPECTED  TO BRING SIGNIFICANT WARMING AND DRYING TO THE DISTRICT. TEMPERATURES  ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE 90S ACROSS PORTIONS  OF THE VALLEYS AND COASTAL PLAIN. MEANWHILE...HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED  TO LOWER RAPIDLY INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ON FRIDAY...WITH CONTINUED  VERY DRY CONDITIONS INTO SATURDAY.    THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS WITH VERY LOW HUMIDITIES  AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL BRING A SIGNIFICANT THREAT OF CRITICAL  FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE THURSDAY NIGHT  THROUGH SATURDAY. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS ALREADY BEEN POSTED FOR  MUCH OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES. EXTREMELY DRY FUEL  CONDITIONS IN PLACE WOULD ALLOW FOR LARGE AND RAPID FIRE GROWTH  POTENTIAL IF WINDS AND DRY AIR DEVELOP AS PROJECTED LATE IN THE  WEEK.    RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA ARE URGED TO STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS ON THIS DEVELOPING  WEATHER SITUATION.    $$    GOMBERG/SMITH



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[californiadisasters] Santa Ana Wind Fire Weather Watch (9/30/13-PM)



...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING FOR MODERATE SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW  HUMIDITY FOR VENTURA COUNTY AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY EXCLUDING  ANTELOPE VALLEY...    .CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AS MODERATE SANTA  ANA WINDS COMBINE WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY THURSDAY EVENING  THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING AND A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT.  CONFIDENCE IS RELATIVELY HIGH AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS  INTO THE GREAT BASIN THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AND THEN SHIFTS  EAST WHILE WEAKENING SATURDAY. THE SANTA ANA WINDS ARE EXPECTED  PEAK FRIDAY MIDDAY AND THEN PERSIST WHILE WEAKENING FRIDAY  AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE 5 TO 10  DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WITH POOR TO MODERATE RELATIVE HUMIDITY  RECOVERY. RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO FALL SHARPLY INTO THE  MID TEENS FRIDAY MORNING AND BY SATURDAY WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGIT  HUMIDITY WILL EXTEND FROM THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO THE LOWER  ELEVATIONS.    CAZ240-244-245-253-011700-  /O.NEW.KLOX.FW.A.0004.131004T0400Z-131006T0200Z/  VENTURA COUNTY COAST-VENTURA COUNTY INTERIOR VALLEYS-  VENTURA COUNTY COASTAL VALLEYS-  VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS / LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST-  235 PM PDT MON SEP 30 2013    ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING FOR GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE  HUMIDITY FOR VENTURA COUNTY...    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES/OXNARD HAS ISSUED A  FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE  HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING.    * WINDS...NORTHEAST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH IN THE    FAVORED RIDGES AND CANYONS AND 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH    ELSEWHERE.    * TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT AND PEAK MIDDAY    FRIDAY AND THEN PERSIST THROUGH SATURDAY.    * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MID TEENS FRIDAY AND SINGLE DIGITS SATURDAY    WITH POOR OVERNIGHT RECOVERY.    * TEMPERATURES...5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMAL...UPPER 70S    TO MID 80S IN THE MOUNTAINS TO UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S IN THE    VALLEYS AND MID 70S NEAR THE BEACHES.    * IMPACTS...IF FIRE IGNITION OCCURS THERE COULD BE RAPID SPREAD    OF WILDFIRE THAT WOULD LEAD TO A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...    A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS  ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR  FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS FIRE WEATHER WATCH. LISTEN FOR  LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG WARNINGS.    &&    $$

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA  235 PM PDT MON SEP 30 2013    ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING FOR MODERATE SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW  HUMIDITY FOR VENTURA COUNTY AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY EXCLUDING  ANTELOPE VALLEY...    .CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AS MODERATE SANTA  ANA WINDS COMBINE WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY THURSDAY EVENING  THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING AND A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT.  CONFIDENCE IS RELATIVELY HIGH AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS  INTO THE GREAT BASIN THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AND THEN SHIFTS  EAST WHILE WEAKENING SATURDAY. THE SANTA ANA WINDS ARE EXPECTED  PEAK FRIDAY MIDDAY AND THEN PERSIST WHILE WEAKENING FRIDAY  AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE 5 TO 10  DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WITH POOR TO MODERATE RELATIVE HUMIDITY  RECOVERY. RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO FALL SHARPLY INTO THE  MID TEENS FRIDAY MORNING AND BY SATURDAY WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGIT  HUMIDITY WILL EXTEND FROM THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO THE LOWER  ELEVATIONS.    CAZ241-246-254-288-547-548-011700-  /O.NEW.KLOX.FW.A.0004.131004T0400Z-131006T0200Z/  LOS ANGELES COUNTY COAST INCLUDING DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES-  SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS RECREATIONAL AREA-  LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS / ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST-  SANTA CLARITA VALLEY-LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN FERNANDO VALLEY-  LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN GABRIEL VALLEY-  235 PM PDT MON SEP 30 2013    ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING FOR GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE  HUMIDITY FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY EXCLUDING ANTELOPE VALLEY...    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES/OXNARD HAS ISSUED A  FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE  HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH  SATURDAY EVENING.    * WINDS...NORTHEAST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH IN THE    FAVORED RIDGES AND CANYONS AND 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH    ELSEWHERE.    * TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT AND PEAK MIDDAY    FRIDAY AND THEN PERSIST THROUGH SATURDAY.    * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MID TEENS FRIDAY AND SINGLE DIGITS SATURDAY    WITH POOR OVERNIGHT RECOVERY.    * TEMPERATURES...5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMAL...UPPER 70S    TO MID 80S IN THE MOUNTAINS TO UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S IN THE    VALLEYS AND MID 70S NEAR THE BEACHES.    * IMPACTS...IF FIRE IGNITION OCCURS THERE COULD BE RAPID SPREAD    OF WILDFIRE THAT WOULD LEAD TO A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...    A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS  ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR  FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS FIRE WEATHER WATCH. LISTEN FOR  LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG WARNINGS.  
Source: NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard


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[californiadisasters] South Ops News & Notes Update (9/30/13-6PM)



Date

Time

News and Notes

09/30/2013

1800

Rim Fire CA-STF-002857 Tuolumne County
Type 3 IC Otterson/Singer
257,135 acres, 92% percent
Resources will continue to patrol the fire perimeter, mop-up any heat that may pose a threat to containment lines and implement the suppression repair plan.

Source: http://gacc.nifc.gov/oscc/predictive/intelligence/news_notes/index.htm


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[californiadisasters] North Ops News & Notes Update (9/30/13-5PM)



Date
Time
News and Notes
09/30/2013 1700 The GACC experianced minimal initial attack activity today.
09/30/2013 0800

The National Weather Service - Reno has issued a Lake Wind Advisory for strong winds for the greater Lake Tahoe area including South Lake Tahoe and Incline Village in effect until 1700 this evening.

http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=CAZ072&warncounty=CAC061&firewxzone=CAZ272&local_place1=&product1=Lake+Wind+Advisory

09/29/2013 1800

CA-LNU Highland Fire: 98 acres, 100% contained.

Initial attack activity in the GACC was minimal today.

09/29/2013 1430

The National Weather Service - Medford has issued a High Wind Warning for northern and eastern Klamath County, western Lake County, central and eastern Lake County, including the cities of Altamont, Klamath Falls, Beatty, Bly, Chemult, Cresent, Gilchrist, Sprague River, Lakeview, Yreka, Weed and Montague in effect until 0200 Monday morning.

http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=rev&wwa=high wind warning

09/29/2013 1430

The National Weather Service - Reno has issued a Lake Wind Advisory for strong winds for the greater Lake Tahoe area including South Lake Tahoe, Truckee and Incline Village in effect until 2000 Monday evening.

http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=CAZ072&warncounty=CAC061&firewxzone=CAZ272&local_place1=&product1=Lake+Wind+Advisory

09/29/2013 1415

The National Weather Service - Reno has issued a Red Flag Warning for strong winds and low humidity for the Mineral and southern Lyon Counties, the western Nevada Sierra front, west central Nevada Basin and Range, Mono and eastern Alpine countes in effect until 2300 this evening.

http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=rev&wwa=red flag warning

09/29/2013 1400 CA-LNU Highland Fire: 98 acres, 50% contained.
Source: http://gacc.nifc.gov/oncc/predictive/intelligence/news_notes/index.htm


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[californiadisasters] On This Date In California Weather History (September 30)



2010: Fresno set a record high of 101° beating the old record of 99° set back in 1991.
This old record was the only record high maximum temperature that was below 100° degrees for September.
All of the record high maximum temperatures for Fresno for the month of September are now in the triple digits.

2001:
Thunderstorms developed in mountains and inland valleys each day starting on this day and ending on 10.1.
Flooding was reported in Beaumont.
One was killed by lightning at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.

1988: Fresno set a high of 99°, making it the only day during the month of September the city has never seen a triple digit high temperature.

1982: It was 49° in Borrego Springs, the lowest temperature on record for September.
This also occurred on 9.27.1986 and 9.30.1971.

1980: The high temperature at Lovelock, NV was 90°.

1971: Caribbean Sea Hurricane Irene crossed Nicaragua and reformed in the eastern Pacific as Hurricane Olivia.
Olivia recurved to the northeast and made landfall in central Baja California with rainfall of up to 1" in the southern deserts on this day and on 10.1.
This occurred during the La Niña of 1970-71.

1971:  4" of snow fell at Donner Memorial State Park.

1970: Drought in Southern California climaxed and hot Santa Ana winds blew starting on 9.25 and ending on this day.
Winds peaked at 60 mph at Cuyamaca.
The winds sparked the Laguna Fire, one of the largest in California history.
Eight were killed, 400 homes were destroyed, and 185,000 acres were burned as of 9.28 from Cuyamaca to Alpine.
In all, the fire consumed whole communities of interior San Diego County.
500,000 acres were burned and caused fifty million dollars in damage.

1952: The high temperature at Lovelock, NV, was 91°.

1950: Fresno reached a chilly 37° for a low temperature, establishing a record low for the month.
This is also the earliest low temperature in the season below 40° on record in Fresno.
Frost was reported in the Fresno area as well for the earliest time ever.

1950: The morning low temperature at Reno, NV was 21°.

1946: Woodfords recorded 1.27" of precipitation.

1946: A tropical storm moved northward into northern Baja California and dissipated with rainfall of up to 4" in the mountains on this day and exceeding 4" in the mountains on 10.1.
This occurred during the El Niño of 1946-47.

1932: Flash flood at Woodfords generated a 45-foot wall of water which killed 15 people and destroyed several locomotives.
Flash flooding also occurred in the Tehachapi Mountains

1932: Heavy rains starting on 9.28 and ending on 10.1 came from a dying tropical cyclone.
It brought flooding to parts of the mountains and deserts of Southern California.
4.38" of rain fell at Tehachapi in 7 hours on this day.
Floods in Tehachapi resulted in 15 deaths.

1930: It was 46° in Palm Springs, the lowest temperature on record for September.

1921: 1.23" of rain fell in San Diego, the greatest daily amount on record for September.
1.5" fell on this day and on 10.1, the greatest 24-hour total on record for September.

1921: A tropical storm crossed the Baja peninsula southwest of Yuma and moved up the Colorado River Valley.
Several stations along the Colorado River reported in excess of 3" of rain, including 3.65" at Yuma.
Other amounts included 1.5" at Flagstaff, 1.24" at Prescott, 0.68" at Tucson, and 0.56" at Phoenix.

1894: Fresno had its' coldest maximum on record for the month of September – the high this day reached only 56°.

Source: NWS Hanford, Reno, Phoenix, & San Diego



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[Volcano_Vista_HS] VVHS Announcements--Monday, September 30, 2013



Any student that missed getting their photos taken or needs retakes please stop by the Activities office today and tomorrow during lunch to sign up for retakes. Retakes will be in the upper gym mezzanine on Wednesday. Teachers you may have your pictures taken anytime from 10:30 to 12:30.

CONGRATULATIONS,  Isaac Fecht!  You have won a pair of movie tickets with refreshments just for eating school lunch you are now eligible for your school's drawing to win a kindle fire in December.

Operation Smile will be meeting on Tuesday during lunch in A101.  Grab your lunch and stop by to see what's going on!

HOMECOMING:

  • There will be a meeting of all male Homecoming court members at lunch on Tuesday in the Activities Office.
  • There will be a meeting of all Powderpuff participants, players and cheerleaders, juniors and seniors in the gym at lunch today. If you do not attend you will not be able to participate.
  • Students participating in the fashion show. Please pick up your hawk absence in Senora Lunas room today. You cannot participate in the show without a hawk absence.

COUNSELING:

  • Tomorrow night is our First Annual Westside College Fair. This year it will be held at Cibola High School from 6:30 to 8 pm. There are over 45 colleges signed up so don't miss it! See you there!!!
  • There is college and scholarship information posted outside E224. Make sure you check the wall every week for new information!
  • Texas Christian University will be at VVHS during lunch TODAY! Stop by the TCU table in the F Hall lunch area to receive more information!
  • Northern Arizona University will be here tomorrow during lunch and NMSU will be here on Wednesday. Don't miss these great opportunities to ask questions and get more information!
  • ECademy registration for the Winter term in currently open.  If you need to recover a credit,
    make an appointment with your academy counselor to sign up for the Winter Term  of ECademy which begins November 18th.  Bring $25 cash registration fee and the counselor will assist you with the rest.

ATHLETICS:

  • Boys soccer plays Los Alamos at 3 tomorrow on our field.
  • Girls Soccer plays at Los Alamos tomorrow.
  • And remember . . . 

    As always . . .

    It's Great to be a Hawk

     

     



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    [Geology2] Source of Massive Volcanic Eruption Found in Indonesia



    Source of massive volcanic eruption found in Indonesia

    Traci Watson, Special for USA TODAY 5:35 p.m. EDT September 30, 2013

    Scientists have discovered the source of a mysterious and cataclysmic volcanic eruption – and have uncovered ancient texts showing the volcano could have entombed what the researchers call "a forgotten Pompeii" in southeastern Asia.

    Scientists have long known that there was a massive eruption in the 1200s, but they didn't know where. The culprit, named today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was the Samalas volcano on the Indonesian island of Lombok. The new research shows that the Samalas eruption rivals what's often called the biggest volcanic eruption in recorded history, the Tambora eruption in 1815 on an island close to Lombok.

    "This is a major discovery for science," University of Rhode Island volcanologist Haraldur Sigurdsson, who was not involved in the research, says via e-mail.

    Scientists have long known about a layer of volcanic material deep in the ice of Antarctica and Greenland, evidence of a colossal eruption during the late Middle Ages. The material told scientists the year of the eruption – 1257 or 1258 — and the chemical composition of the ejected material, but no more.

    The search "was like a criminal investigation," says Franck Lavigne, a geographer specializing in volcanoes at the Laboratory of Physical Geography CNRS, who led the team that found Samalas. "You know the date of the murder … and you've got the fingerprint."

    Lavigne's team went looking for a telltale sign: the hollow created when a volcanic peak collapses. They found one atop Lombok Island, then they scoured the island for volcanic deposits. By scrutinizing the volcanic material and its distance from the fallen peak, they calculated how much material the volcano expelled and how fast it did so. They also found that the chemical composition of deposits on Lombok matched the composition of the ash in the ice samples.

    Their calculations show that the Samalas eruption was one of the biggest of the last 12,000 years. It belched more ash and rock than any other volcano since roughly 1600 B.C., and it spewed hot ash even faster than Tambora, says Lavigne's colleague Jean-Christophe Komorowski of France's Institut de Physique du Globe.

    The column of ash soared about 25 miles into the sky, and "anybody nearby would've been pretty terrified … to be in complete darkness," says the University of Cambridge's Clive Oppenheimer, who took part in the research. Eventually, a terrifying avalanche of super-heated gas and rock barreled down the volcano, killing nearly everyone in its path.

    The number of dead is unknown, but Tambora, which was similar in size, killed upward of 70,000 people in the region. Perhaps many more would've perished globally, as components of Samalas' plume lingered in the atmosphere, blocking the sunlight and turning 1258 into a "year without a summer," Lavigne says.

    The scientists found a reference to an eerily similar cataclysm in an Indonesian historic poem written on palm leaves in Old Javanese. "Mount Rinjani avalanched and Mount Samalas collapsed," reads the poem, which dates the events to before the end of the 13th century. "These flows destroyed (the seat of the kingdom) Pamatan."

    "There's a good chance that the capital of the kingdom is still buried by volcanic deposits," Lavigne says. "I hope archaeologists will find it."

    Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/30/salamas-volcano-forgotten-pompeii/2891495/


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