Sidebar: On the Map: Southern California Wildfires

The wildfires that ravaged Southern California in late 2007 developed into an opportunity for people to communicate using GIS data and maps. Numerous residents and media outlets throughout Los Angeles and San Diego took advantage of Google Maps' personalization tools to quickly build maps that featured a wealth of valuable information. The tool makes it easy for users to create custom points and areas of interest, which can be updated almost instantly. Users can also easily add photos and video.

As the fires raged, maps began populating the Web showing residents where the fires were at any given time, where evacuation shelters were located, which roads were open and which were closed - there were even maps displaying shelters offering refuge for large animals like horses.  

Government facilities, education institutions, news outlets and average citizens used the power of GIS to exchange and share information about the disaster while it was happening, helping to illustrate just how important a role GIS mapping has come to play in our lives.