User:Penitentes/Williams Fire

The 2002 Williams Fire was a large wildfire in Los Angeles County, California. After igniting on September 22, the fire burned 38094 acres before it was declared fully contained on October 1. The Williams Fire destroyed dozens of structures, largely cabins in the Angeles National Forest.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5316628.pdf

https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/2002/09/25/fire-closes-forest-near-l/50747656007/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/190506443/?match=1&terms=%22curve%20fire%22

Background
The Williams Fire eventually became the third largest of the 2002 California wildfire season, in which 8,171 wildfires burned a total of 538216 acres.

Progression
The Williams Fire began on Sunday, September 22, 2002, at about 5:00 p.m. near Camp Williams in the Angeles National Forest north of Glendora. That evening the fire burned at least 750 acres and forced thousands of recreational visitors to evacuate the area.

By the night of September 23 the Williams Fire had burned 5000 acres and was only 10 percent contained. A thousand firefighters fought the fire, aided by eight helicopters and nine air tankers, as it threatened neighborhoods in the community of La Verne.

By September 25 the fire's burned area amounted to more than 9000 acres. The brunt of the fire suppression effort was focused on the Williams Fire's 11 mi southern flank, which threatened neighborhoods not just in La Verne but also in Azusa, Glendora, and San Dimas. The number of firefighters and aircraft assigned to the fire increased to roughly 2,000 and 30, respectively.

By September 27 officials called the threat to property "significantly diminished" as an upper-level low-pressure system moved inland from the Pacific, bringing enough moisture to produce drizzle over the fire area. By then >35000 acres had burned and the Williams Fire was 35% contained.

By September 29 the fire—with activity largely quashed by weather systems—had burned 36160 acres and was 80 percent contained. About 2,000 firefighters continued to construct fire lines nonetheless, fearing the potential for less fortunate weather ahead.

The evacuation order for Mount Baldy was lifted the night of September 30. The Williams Fire was declared fully contained on October 1, 2002, with a total associated fire suppression cost of $15 million (split between the federal, state, and Los Angeles/San Bernardino county governments). It burned 38094 acres in total.

The Williams Fire burn scar later helped to limit the westward spread of the 2003 Grand Prix Fire.

Effects
The Williams Fire did not cause any fatalities. Seven people were injured, at least six of them firefighters.

The fire destroyed 76 structures, including 62 homes or cabins and 14 outbuildings. The majority of the lost homes were in San Dimas Canyon and had been leases from the Angeles National Forest. The fire also burned 85 percent of the San Dimas Experimental Forest, destroying a shed that stored soil samples dating back to the 1930s.

The number of people under evacuation exceeded 2,000, most of them residents of Mount Baldy, Palmer Canyon, and Padua Hills. The fire caused the Forest Service to close the entirety of the Angeles National Forest, a measure that had not been taken in over 25 years.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an advisory for communities in the foothills of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains on September 25, urging residents to limit time spent outside.