In the past decade, California wildfires have continued to burn bigger and brighter. Find out the impact of these wildfires, the history of the growing flames and how you can take initiative to prevent catastrophe.
Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring are the seasons everyone gets to look forward to every year. But for Californians, there aren’t just four seasons. “Fire season” has become an accepted phrase, describing the time between June and October when the forests are at their driest, and fire risk is at its highest. In California, wildfires are not just likely, but a guarantee. In this state, the catastrophic has become the new normal.
The earliest known wildfire in California’s History was the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889. It burned around 300,000 acres in parts of southern California and was the largest wildfire in state history in acreage up until 2018.
Official state fire records did not begin until 1932. And since then, the top 10 largest wildfires have occurred since 2000. About 25% of California’s forestland has burned in the last 10 years, which is more than triple the previous decade.
As more fires burn, and more smoke enters the air, the air quality index begins to rise. In 2020, California’s wildfires were the second largest source of emissions, making up 30% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions (UChicago). A UChicago study finds that a year of wildfire emissions is nearly double the reductions achieved over 16 years. Other sectors of those contributing to greenhouse gas emissions are striving to reduce their impact. Still, all their hard work has been swept aside by smoke produced within a single year of California wildfires.
CAL FIRE Firefighters are in a ruthless cycle of preventing fires while combating climate change. To make matters worse, as climate change is creating drier climates, forests become more susceptible to flames. But as large wildfires blaze, high levels of CO2 are emitted, thus causing more climate change. The problem is immediate, and if action is not taken, it will only grow larger – very fast.
The effects of California wildfires don’t just stay in California. Wind carries smoke all throughout the U.S., and in the past few years, the effect of this have been painfully obvious. Typically, smoke remains higher in the atmosphere and it appears as haze, but according to Tom Kines, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, since there has been such a large amount of smoke it remains close to the ground reducing visibility and causing air quality issues.
In the last few summers, smoke has been carried by the wind as far as New York City and Philadelphia. Dark orange hues and strong cigar-like smells haunted New York City.
In the summer of 2023, Chicago had the worst air quality in the world, deemed “very unhealthy” by the Environmental Protection Agency (TIME). Other areas such as Detroit and Minneapolis also endured smog and poor air quality.
The U.S. Forest Service was established in 1905, and 5 years later a series of forest fires burned 3 million acres in Montana, Idaho, and Washington in only two days. Such events caused the Fire Service to enact policies instituting total fire suppression.
However, after decades of living under the impression that “all fire is bad”, scientists are starting to realize that this has just made forests more susceptible to flame – a phenomenon called the “Smokey Bear effect”. Forests that have experienced no fire for decades have simply been storing fuel, like underbrush growth and dead-standing trees. And with climate change bringing drier conditions, forests are susceptible to catching fire easily.
Forests thick with underbrush growth and dead trees are more like to enable mega-fires. The excess vegetation simply acts as a ladder, allowing fires to climb from the forest ground up to large standing trees. Overgrown forest, combined with the intense speed that fire travels at is the reason why entire forests can burn down within minutes.
Ecologically managed forests, however present an opportunity for decreasing the impact of mega-fires. By regulating the amount of underbrush growth and dead standing trees, a forest can thrive and even withstand fires. Within an ecologically managed forest, fire has no way to climb the larger trees, since there is no excess vegetation to act as a ladder.
Stephen Pyne of Arizona State University, a leading scholar of forest fire history says, “The crisis is not the number of fires, it’s that we have too many bad fires and too few good fires” (Smithsonian). Preventing unwanted fires is a good thing, but eliminating the role of fire in forests is not. Low-severity fires prevent more severe fires in dry, low-elevation forests.
The Nature Conservancy uses Ecological Forest Restoration to reduce the risk of megafires. It combines ecological thinning with controlled burns to create healthier spacing and less fuel, making wildfires less destructive. It combats the effects of drought and climate change and shows significant benefits for air quality, water quality, carbon storage, and wildlife habitat.
Before a controlled burn, trained and experienced fire practitioners assess different factors like weather, moisture levels, humidity, and wind to determine if the conditions are safe for a controlled burn. Safety measures such as these ensure the fire does not spread beyond designated boundaries and this is why 99.84% of prescribed fires in 2022 went as planned.
California residents can prevent wildfire damage by hardening their homes. This includes using fire-resistant building materials for roofs, house-siding, and porches. Using metal mesh on vents and screens for windows prevents any embers entering your home.
The 200ft area around your home is considered “defensible area” or the area that can be manage to increase the chance of your home surviving a wildfire. In this area, remove any pathways that the fire could potentially use to spread to your home. Maintaining the defensible area can slow and stop the spread of wildfire.
There are many opportunities within communities to to volunteer to clear vegetation or other potential fuels throughout parks and open spaces. When each person takes responsibility for their area and takes action to prevent wildfires, real impact is seen. Together California can work together to cultivate a healthier landscape while reducing the chance for mega fires.
When exploring the abundant national parks of California take a moment to review local fire restrictions. Try to avoid fire-related activities when the weather is hot and dry. And pay attention to any fire risks around you. Be cautious of any sparks or flammable materials that could come from your vehicle or equipment.
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