The state of California has decided to act on the recommendations of a Blue Ribbon Commission established Nov. 2, 2003, to review efforts to fight the 2003 wildfires and provide guidelines to prevent destruction from future fires. The Southern California fire siege that began on Oct. 21and continued though Nov. 7, 2003, was the most devastating fire event in the state's history. Five counties were involved in the federal disaster declaration, 739,597 acres burned, 24 people died, and damages exceeded $4 billion.

Because California is a fire-prone state, with the highest population in the United States residing in a fire-prone wildland/urban interface, the vulnerability of those areas must be further decreased, the commission stated. In all, the commission issued 33 findings and 51 recommendations in five areas of concern: jurisdictional and operational barriers; training; interstate regional mutual aid systems; local building, planning, and land use regulations, brush clearance, and fuel mitigation; and communications, interoperability, information technology, and public outreach.

The commission's recommendations are available on the Governor's Office of Emergency Services' web site, www.oes.ca.gov.