Battling Wildfires

2008 Jul 29 Posted by Joseph Pascarella

This has been a very tough year for battling wildfires in the Western United States, particularly in California. The last battle is near Yosemite National Park and is threatening both homes in the area and the park itself. The wildfires near Yosemite National Park are particularly challenging given the rough terrain and landscape that firefighters must contend with.

At one point several months ago, firefighters were contemporaneously battling nearly 700 wildfires in California. Several factors such as the weather, wind, and arid brush in California make wildfires a perennial challenge and population and development over the last several decades has increased the exposure and vulnerabilities.

Battling these wildfires presents numerous challenges for public safety, particularly the need for cooperation and coordination amongst agencies given the expansive geographic area and length of incidents.

Take care and stay safe.

Joe Pascarella

2 Responses to “Battling Wildfires”

Sandy Boyd, Ed.D. Says:

Mutual aide has stretched beyond the oceans! My family and I were just watching the news about the fires near Yosemite and they were highlighting the work of 10 Greeks who came to California to help, but also to learn wildland fire fighting techniques and disaster management protocols. Any incident gives all of public safety a chance to learn, no matter where they come from. Being of Greek heritage, we got a kick out of seeing all these sturdy men who looked and sounded like our cousins and uncles! Our hope is that all involved come home safely and quickly.

Joe Pascarella Says:

Sandy,

Thanks for the post. I do agree about learning from other incidents, irrespective of the location of the incident.

Dr. Joe

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Authors

Picture of Dr. Steven Barthelmeus, aa contributor to Capella's public safety blog.
Dr. Steven Barthelmeus
Program Chair,
Public Safety – Criminal Justice/Forensics program, Capella University
Picture of Harry Carter, a contributor to Capella's public safety blog.
Dr. Harry Carter
Core Faculty Member,
Capella University
Picture of Shelly Gill, a contributor to Capella's public safety blog.
Dr. Shelly Gill
Adjunct Instructor, Capella University
Picture of Dr. Joseph Pascarella, author of Capella's public safety news blog.
Dr. Joseph Pascarella
Core Faculty Member, Capella University
Picture of Dr. Jeffrey Rush, author of Capella's public safety news blog.
Dr. Jeffrey Rush
Asst. Professor of Criminal Justice/Homeland Security, Dept. of Public Management and Criminal Justice, Austin Peay State University
Picture of Dr. Michael Kemp, author of Capella's public safety news blog.
Dr. Michael Kemp
Chair, Emergency Management, Capella University
Melissa Beasley
Captain, Florence Alabama Police Department
Darryl Jones
Capella University Learner and Chief, Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire
Dr. Laura Pettler
Investigator for Prosecutorial District Twenty A of North Carolina
Mark Rubin
Capella University Learner
Mark S. Warnick
Capella University Learner, Retired Asst. Fire Chief

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