Our Place on Earth – San Diego and Nature

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Canyoneer Hikes - Nature walks in San Diego county
Fire Safety and Fuels Reduction Program (*PDF), County of San Diego program, June 22, 2004
Fire Awareness System - USDA Forest Service sites showing fire danger level and activities allowed in Cleveland National Forest, Los Padres National Forest, San Bernardino National Forest, and Angeles National Forest
Conservation International Biodiversity Hotspots
National Association of State Foresters
Nature recovers from fire - a biologist's personal website with photos from Mission Trails after the fire
Preventative Cross-training Wildfire Education for the Business Sector - San Diego Natural History Museum and the Joint Fire Sciences Program
Southern California Chaparral Field Institute
Plant Fact Sheets from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Click on scientific name for comprehensive information on many species. A great resource.
Current weather data and forecasts - search for San Diego, CA
Historical annual rainfall data for San Diego County

The Power of Wildfires

American Red Cross - What to Do After a Wildfire?, Practice Wildfire Safety
California Fire Siege 2003: The Story, by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and USDA Forest Service
Communicators' guide - Includes excellent public education sections on fire science, ecology, history, policy, education, school programs, and other resources.
DisasterHelp.org - a list of resources
The 2003 San Diego County Fire Siege - Fire Safety Review Report (*PDF), USDA Forest Service
Facing the Flames (*PDF), by Stephen Pyne, about US fire history
Firesafety.gov - After the Fire: Returning to Normal (a 16-page booklet in English or Spanish)
GIS Helps Response to Southern California Fires, article
NASA International Space Station View of California Wildfires
National Interagency Fire Center
National Interagency Fire Center books, audiovisuals, and online resources
NOAA Fire Weather Information Center
NOVA Fire Wars
San Diego, California, Firefighters Kept Informed With GIS, article
Satellite Image - southern California, October 26, 2003
SignOnSanDiego.com - Photos, maps, and video clips from the 2003 wildfires in San Diego
USFS videos and information on borrowing videos
USGS Wildfires
Web-based Mapping Services for San Diego Wildfires 2003

Living with Fire and Nature – Firewise Houses and Landscaping

The Burn Institute, San Diego
CDF Fire Safety Education
Homeowners Checklist - a tool for fire safety inside and outside your home (*PDF) - How to Make Your Home Fire Safe, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, December 2002
Lista de Control Para Propietarios (*PDF), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, December 2002
California Native Plant Society San Diego Chapter - After the Fire: Revegetation and Recovery
San Diego Invasive Ornamental Plant Guide (*PDF), developed jointly by American Society of Landscape Architects and California Native Plant Society.
The Fire Safe Council, California
The Fire Safe Council, San Diego
FireWise - an interactive, graphical tool designed to help residents make fire safety choices about their homes
Fire at the Urban Wildland Interface (*PDF): Performance of California Homes and Buildings, prepared by Fire Cause Analysis, excellent photos of house design elements and materials, and conditions after exposure to 2003 wildfires in California
Homeowners' Guide to Fire and Watershed Management at the Chaparral/Urban Interface (*PDF), by Klaus W.H. Radtke
Rebuild a Greener San Diego
A City of San Diego Guide to Fire Safety and Brush Management for Private Property (*PDF), May 2004
San Diego County Department of Planning and Land Use:
     - Ordinance No. 9669, County Fire Code, 2004 (*PDF), 49 pages
     - Ignition Resistant Eave Construction (with sketches) (*PDF), 15 pages
     - Fire Check List for Single Family Residences, Duplexes, and Garages (*PDF), 4 pages
San Diego Fire Recovery Network - a network of organizations working together to address the ecosystem changes caused by the fires
Southern California Chaparral Field Institute
Southern California Heritage Gardening Guide, excellent photos of native and drought-tolerant plants
U.S. Fire Administration (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
University of California-Berkeley, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources - Fire Performance Testing Information on Commercial Products:
     -Decks (*PDF)
     -Roofs (*PDF)
     -Walls (*PDF)
     -Windows (*PDF)

Fire Information for Kids

Smokey Bear - wildlife protection
Smokey Kids
USFS Living with Fire game
CDF Smokey Bear coloring book (*PDF)
CDF Smokey Bear puzzle book (*PDF)

For Teachers

CDF Teacher's Tools
History with Fire in Its Eye: An Introduction to Fire in America, by Stephen J. Pyne, Arizona State University, from National Humanities Center teachers' series on Nature Transformed
San Diego's Habitats, by San Diego Zoological Society
San Diego Wildfires Education Project, a county-wide education initiative made possible by the San Diego Foundation
Earth, Wind & WILDFIRE Teacher's Guide (English) (*PDF), San Diego Natural History Museum
Earth, Wind & WILDFIRE Teacher's Guide (Spanish) (*PDF), San Diego Natural History Museum