The news articles on the wildfires in California often have statements like this: "In Orange County, one fire, known as the Santiago, was designated as arson..."
I've seen a number of similar news references to the California fires, where the fires have names.
Where do these names come from? Who names the fires? And why?
2007-10-24 16:47:36 · 7 answers · asked by Erik 2 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
Fire officials and media are both responsible for the naming of fires, and like the previous comment - they are named the the area of their point of origin - also for major landmarks / cities near the fire that everyone in the area is familiar with. For instance - the Magic fire is so named because it is close to an amusement park Magic Mountain.
2007-10-24 16:58:45 · answer #1 · answered by ShellyC 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Its the fire commanders with CalFire and the CDF (California Department of Forestry).....
As previous posters have said - its named usually for the geographical area that the fire originates in.
Santiago in Orange, Co. - starting in the Santiago valley....
Witch Fire (shortened from Witch Creek) - started in the Witch Creek area of North County San Diego.....
Harris Fire (southern S.D.) - Named (I believe) for a ranch in the area of the fire's origin.....
It gets hard - because after 4 days, the fire is usually many miles away from its point of origin, so its name may have very little to do with its actual location. This can cause confussion - even for locals that are familiar with these local areas of the county.
But they have to name it after something ?!?!? I guess they could do like hurricanes and give them human names?
I've often wondered - if a wife comes back a few years later in the same area, so they use the OLD name or call it Jr. or the 2nd or something like that ?
2007-10-25 00:13:56 · answer #2 · answered by aa889d 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the Fire Authority names the fires. They name the fires based on the geographic location of the fire. The Santiago fire is in the Santiago Canyon that borders Irvine and Orange. They name the fires for the same reason they name Hurricanes, for historical reference. In the current time, the names make it easy for firefighters to identify the area and for services agencies to bring resources.
As you are watching the news, you will hear them reference and old fire by its name for comparison purposes.
2007-10-25 00:02:27 · answer #3 · answered by Labradorables Rock! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are named for the geographic spots where they started. That Orange County fire started in Santiago Canyon.
2007-10-25 01:10:42 · answer #4 · answered by desertviking_00 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Primarily from the location. Up north the Magic fire was near Magic Mountain. In OC the fire was started in the Santiago Canyon area............
2007-10-25 00:07:20 · answer #5 · answered by tallerfella 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The fires are named for the area in which they started. The Santiago fire broke in Santiago canyon.
The Malibu fire started in Malibu.
2007-10-24 23:53:17 · answer #6 · answered by October 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the fires are named after the areas where they started. the witch creek fire in san diego for example, started on witch creek ranch. they also name them to makes it easier for firemen, policemen and news anchors to distinguish them. the whole historical reference could be a reason also, but i'm not completely sure on that.
2007-10-25 01:19:36 · answer #7 · answered by Ruben R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋