Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/1256360
The Camp Fire in Northern California was the deadliest and most destructive fire in the state's history. It consumed more than 150,000 acres and claimed nearly 19,000 structures and 85 lives. During the fire, command posts and response teams pressed the county's GIS team for maps. In some areas, the fire downed cell networks, so GIS team members drove to different emergency operations centers to hand-deliver maps for morning briefings. In desperate need of help, Butte County called Esri for assistance through its Disaster Response Program (DRP). Butte County's GIS team lead, Jim Erenger, explained, "The Disaster Response Program supplemented our GIS shop virtually and in person. We received all the on-site licensing and services that we needed to manage the event. Esri also provided a wildland fire solution specialist to manage our GIS efforts." DRP staff connected the county's GIS to ArcGIS Online so that the GIS team could post fire maps to the cloud-base platform and make vital information immediately accessible. Throughout the event, the GIS generated emergency operations maps. Drone imagery maps aided firefighters' suppression efforts. Real-time maps showed evacuation area status updates. DRP staff and county staff created dashboards and web apps that effectively communicated fire status, informed operation briefings, and supported recovery activities. Postfire, the team used ArcGIS StoryMaps sm to describe the entire event from response efforts through recovery activities. Eager to know the status of their homes, residents turned to CAL FIRE's web map. Using a slider, they compared before- and-after drone imagery of fire-ravaged communities. They also typed in their addresses to see their homes' condition. The web map provided the information they needed to take steps toward recovery. Use Case: Public Information Damage Maps Assist Public with Recovery Camp Fire, Butte County, California 27