In September 1970, when wildfires displaced tens of thousands of people in Southern California, overwhelming emergency services, residents took matters into their own hands. They found a place for evacuees to gather and organised the washing of exhausted fire-fighters' clothes. Fast forward to October 2007, when wildfires ravaged the state again and residents banded together, this time in a way that wasn't possible in the seventies.
Armed with an array of online "social media" tools such as blogs, annotatable maps, photo sites and instant messenging services, they were able to gather and disseminate information on, for example, the progress of the fire, the location of evacuation areas and shelters, and which schools and businesses were closed - information unavailable through traditional channels.
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