The Current Bout of West Coast Fires

By: Synaia Faust '22

(Image courtesy of businessinsider.com.au)

As you may know, there has been a recent outbreak of fires on the West Coast. This has become the talk of many big news stations and papers. Fire season is not something uncommon to many Californians, but the scale of destruction in recent ignition of the fires, covering cities in a haze of smoke, seems worse than ever before.

As of September 2020, the fires have resulted in the deaths of more than thirty people and forced tens of thousands from their homes. The US National Interagency Fire Center has said that firefighters have fought against 106 large wildfires, which have now burned millions of acres in Oregon, California, and other parts of the West Coast, with California and Oregon seeing the worst of them. According to BBC news “Record breaking temperatures, unusually dry air, and fierce winds - on top of drought in some areas - have exacerbated the fires.” They are known to be the worst ones seen in 18 years, and are linked to the rising problem of climate change.

Climate change has been an essential factor in the increasing risk and uncontrollability of the fires in the West. According to C2ES, the Center For Climate and Energy Solutions, “Wildfire risk depends on a number of factors, including temperature, soil moisture, and the presence of trees, shrubs and other potential fuel.” These factors are tied to climate change, which causes forest fuels to be more dry, and is doubling the number of forest fires. Climate change also results in warmer, drier conditions, including drought, which makes fire season last longer. In some instances the steps taken to prevent wildfires have actually made them worse.

On the West Coast we have hot dry summers and mild rainy winters, and often have droughts. In this chaparral biome the occasional fires are normal, or even encouraged because they help to maintain biodiversity. Since humans have begun to move into chaparrals, their attempts to clear out the biome to reduce the number of fires has resulted in more shrubbery and undergrowth making the fires more uncontrollable, leading us to where we are today.

As of Monday, October 16th, about 9,000 firefighters are on the frontlines of 21 fires across the state, being fought with suppression strategies until completely contained. As of October 15th, firefighters across the state acted on 29 new wildfires. Good news is they were all pretty quickly contained.

It is currently the middle of fire season in California, so it is common to have these outbursts of fire around this time. We can expect to be hearing about more fires for at least the next 1 to 2 months. Some things that we as a community can do to help decrease the occurrence of wildfire is to report unattended fires, extinguish fire pits and campfires when finished, dispose of cigarettes properly, and to use caution when handling flammable materials and liquids. Also, it’s recommended not to hold outdoor events that could result in a fire, such as a baby shower with fireworks. Things we can do to help prevent climate change are simple tasks such as don't waste food, pull out the plugs on devices that are not being used, and to speak up and spread awareness about the growing issue.

In case of a fire, it is always good to be prepared. If you have not already, try talking to family and friends about setting up and ensuring that they have a quick and safe evacuation plan, just in case wildfires strike. This will help protect the life of you and your loved ones.