Towards the end of July this year, a wildfire in Butte County exploded, growing 20 times in size in just a day. Thousands of people scrambled to evacuate their homes. The only thoroughfare leading out of the town of Cohasset which was Cohasset Road, soon closed as nothing but black surrounded the area. The logging road that was used was threateningly congested, yet it was life-saving. It was the difference between a miracle story and a potential tragic loss of thousands of lives.
We hear the story of wildfires almost every year during the summer, and these stories seemingly get longer and more horrible with every passing year. It is easy to become desensitized after reading about the same tale for years on end, but there is much to unpack about wildfires. 2024 has been one of the worst years on record with wildfires burning nearly one million acres across the state. The Park Fire in Butte County that was mentioned above was the 4th largest wildfire in California history.
How do wildfires start?
There are two facets of the wildfire issue, and not just in California. Part of it is natural. Wildfires can start naturally, usually with intense heat and a trigger like lightning. Dry vegetation is a prime target for wildfires including bushes, grass, and trees.
However, the more devastating part, especially in populous areas, is the human-caused wildfires. Nearly 90% of wildfires are linked to human actions — unattended cigarettes, burning debris, industrial equipment failures, etc.
Why in California?
California is almost the perfect storm for wildfires as a large state with vast, open land. But not all wildfires are lit due to natural predicaments. Many wildfires are linked to humans themselves. And the devastating impacts of climate change multiply these conditions and cause fiery chaos.
The vegetation in the rolling hills of California spends the summer drying out. With climate change effects only increasing these temperatures, this vegetation turns into a prime target for a massive wildfire. Strong winds carry these fires across thousands of acres, spreading quickly even as they are being contained.
Luckily for California, we are nearing the end of wildfire season. Temperatures are cooling, and precipitation is hopefully on the horizon. These massive wildfires are soon being contained. However, climate change will only extend and spiral these effects year over year.
How does this impact us?
Even though most large wildfires in CA aren’t near the James Logan campus, wildfires may have a devastating impact on seemingly safe regions like ours. The record 2020 wildfires, for example, had visible and health-related effects near Union City and the East Bay. These effects of that year serve as a reminder of what wildfires can do to our communities.
James Logan High School sophomore, Nitish Nathan, said, “Wildfires can disrupt the school community in a lot of ways, from health risks due to poor air quality to the shutdown of the campus, negatively impacting student health and learning.”
What can we do to change it?
The very first action we can take is to prevent these wildfires from happening. When a wildfire starts in these dry, arid areas of our state, it is hard to contain. However, if we take action to prevent wildfires from starting, we can prevent their devastating effects. Take caution with flammable material. Be careful of littering in general, as pollutants can have an effect on the climate and grounds where wildfires are so common. While it may seem hard to feasibly solve wildfires, if communities (like us!) take small steps to help, we will see a reversing trend of wildfires shrinking.
The long run
In the long run, policymaking will be the deciding factor in the goal of removing the adverse effects of wildfires across California. Individually, we can make a significant difference, but policies can initiate widespread change. For example, a policy preventing the industrial start of fires (such as power lines failing) would likely have prevented the Dixie Fire in 2021, the largest wildfire in California’s history. Policies can also help maintain safety against fires, policies such as stricter building regulations in fire-prone areas. Legislation is our ticket to long-lasting change in what seems to be a never-ending battle.
