November 13, 2003

California Fires: Review with Satellite Imagery

Current Situation

The recent fires in California were monitored by Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service (FFAS) staff using NASA/MODIS imagery for the period October 26-29, 2003 and superimposing the fire perimeter maps obtained from the Department of Homeland Security and the USDA Forest Service.  Additional analysis was performed at two locations in Ventura County, California, to better identify the potential damage from these fires by combining:

1. the fire perimeters
2. the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) Digital Ortho Quads for 2003,
3. the Farm Service Agency (FSA)-generated Common Land Unit (CLU) and crop reporting information from the 2002 cropping season. 

The full reports at the end of this document have more notes and information, and show how fire boundaries and agricultural area maps can be combined to examine the impact of the fires on producers.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), last week’s California fires have burned more than 750,000 acres, an area about the size of Rhode Island;  thousands of people were evacuated.  According to press reports, nearly 13,000 firefighters and support personnel battled these fires, and about 20 people have perished.  Around 4,500 structures, many of them homes, were destroyed by these fires.  The three major fires include

• the Cedar fires in San Diego County, by far the largest (280,000 acres)
• the Simi Valley and the Piru fires in Ventura County (170,000)
• the Grand Prix, Padua, and Old fires in San Bernardino County (160,000 acres). 

Cooler temperatures, rain, and even snow in some higher elevations helped contain the fires.  According to NIFC, most of these fires are almost contained.  

For agriculture, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS: November 4, 2003), losses due to these fires include hay, damage to orchards, nursery crops, livestock, and damage to some farm structures. 

Agriculture in San Diego County (Cedar Fire)

San Diego County ranked eighth in 2002 in value of agricultural production in California.  Some of the major agricultural and horticultural commodities include: Avocados, nursery products, flowers and foliage, and eggs.  For each of these, San Diego County is the top producer in the state.

Agriculture in Ventura County (Simi Valley Fire)

Ventura County ranked 10 in 2002 in value of agricultural production in California. Some of the major agricultural commodities include: strawberries (leading producer 1in California), celery (1), lemons (1), avocados (2), oranges (4), and nursery products (5).  Agriculture is concentrated along the Simi Valley.

Agriculture in San Bernardino County (Grand Prix Fire)

San Bernardino County ranked 15 in 2002 in overall value of agricultural production in California. Some of the major commodities include: chicken (1), eggs (4), and cattle (5).

For more information, contact Rao Achutuni at 202-690-0140, email: achutuni@fas.usda.gov and Carl Gernazio at (202) 690-0136, email: gernazio@fas.usda.gov