California Wildfires

 

California Wildfires: An Ongoing Issue

  

Overview

According to the California.Gov website since the beginning of this year over four million acres of California soil has burned due to the California fires, recording 2020 as the largest wildfire season in its history. In addition, according to the website, over 7,000 firefighters remained on the frontlines of 22 wildfires across the state, 12 of which were major incidents. Firefighters responded to 31 new initial attack wildfires across the State during these times. Looking over the crisis map set up by Google, just the lower right of the bay area has been hit quite hard with fires.  

Prior to the fires, California fires regularly burned significantly more acreage than has been seen in recent history. Wildfires had been aggressively suppressed in recent years which resulted in a buildup of fuel, increasing the risk of large uncontrollable fires. There is broad scientific consensus that there should be more controlled burning of forest in California in order to reduce fire risk.

Additionally, according to the Center of Disaster Philanthropy the focus of the wildfires will shift to southern California in December as precipitation is likely to quell large fire concerns across northern California by then. Over the winter, the warming and drying trend across the southern tier of the United States due to tropical storms such as La Niña and other large-scale climate forcing will likely result in above normal significant fire potential in portions of southern California.

The 4.2 million acres burned in 2020 are the most in a single year since CalFire began keeping records, and more than the last three years combined. On August 18, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the entire state of California as a result of these fires and the ongoing critical fire weather conditions. Even President Trump had issued a major disaster declaration.

                 

Experiences

These California fires affected my friends and family as I live near San Jose, the area that was surrounded by the fires. I remember the thunderstorm that passed by and started the fires. For weeks the air quality was both terrible and harsh. The added heat being blown with the ash made it hard to breathe in any instance. The ash and smoke you would breathe in would stick onto the inside of your mouth making it dry as well as feel as if you were coughing up mud. 

The most horrifying story I heard was from one of my neighbors. A close relative of his who lived near the farms when the fire was at its peak. While they were asleep they were awoken to their crops on fire. After the fire had spread the fire caught onto the house burning it down completely. Currently they live in a small barn that had luckily avoided the fire with no bath or light. They had to empty out the contents in the upper level in order to have any space to sleep.

Although now the fires are contained these wildfires have proven to be an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Hearing stories such as these and experiencing it not only this year, but last year as well, shows the urgency we should take.

Sources:

Bogel-burroughs, Nicholas. “California Wildfires Grow and Force Thousands to Flee.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 27 Oct. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/27/us/california-fires-updates.html.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). “California Daily Wildfire Update.” Organization Image, www.fire.ca.gov/daily-wildfire-report/.