2007 Southern California Wildfires damage homes, businesses, lives

2007 Southern California Wildfire Season

The Southern California wildfires of October 2007 affected lives and businesses in seven Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and President George W. Bush each declared a state of emergency. Twenty-three separate named fires burned approximately 518,021 acres (809.4 square miles), destroyed 2,180 residences, 922 outbuildings, but only five commercial buildings. In short, the fires of 2007 swept through people’s homes and caused substantial residential and emotional damage. The firefighters who bravely fought the fires of 2007 prevented even further economic loss by keeping the flames out of commercial areas so people still had their jobs, even if they have to cope with other economic disruptions.