From Classbrain.com

Political Cartoons
California Wildfires
By Cartoon: Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com
Project: Cynthia Kirkeby, ClassBrain, Inc
Nov 4, 2007, 23:58 PST



© Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com 2007


California Wildfires

As many as a million people were forced to evacuate their homes as wildfires ravaged California from Castaic to San Diego. Some of the fires were started by power lines knocked down by the Santa Ana winds, while others were set deliberately by arsonists taking advantage of the driving winds and overtaxed fire departments. Sadly, one of the fires was apparently set by a young boy who was playing with matches and had the fire get out of his control.

More than 1100 homes were lost in San Diego County alone, and homeowners will now be faced with the difficult task of rebuilding and moving forward.

Questions to Ponder

  • Is there anything that could have been done to prevent the loss of so many homes in the California wildfires?

  • Does your family have a fire evacuation plan in place?

  • Is your property set up to reduce the risk of fire reaching your home in the case of a brush fire?

  • Why did evacuations and assistance move so smoothly in California despite 1 million people displaced by the fires, while evacuations were confused and ineffectual in Louisiana in the aftermath of the hurricane season?

  • What is involved in filling out a fire insurance claim?



Learning Links

Battling California's Wildfires
A comprehensive look at the wildfires, the damage, and the recovery. Source: California's Governor's Office

Cal Fire
Southern California Fires at a Glance... acreage and containment.
Source: CalFire

‘We can’t stop it’
Officials all but concede defeat to wildfires as estimated 1 million evacuate
Source: MSNBC.com

Family Fire Safety Plan
Source: neighborhood preparedness.com

Wild Land Fire Preparedness
Source: County of San Diego

Fire Insurance Claims Guide
Source: Pushor Mitchell Lawyers






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