brief background

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California is home to a wide variety of landscapes and climate zones, like mountains, canyons, valleys, beaches and forests. the state has a total land mass of around 163,696 square miles. 

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for generations, California has experienced devastating fires in many of its most populated areas. before the year 2000, the following fires were known as the most destructive in the state's history:

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• Santiago Canyon Fire (1889). Burned 310,000 acres.

• Berkeley Fire (1923). Destroyed 640 structures, including 584 homes.

• Griffith Park Fire (1933). Official death toll was 29 firefighters, but may have killed up to 58.

• Rattlesnake Fire (1953). 15 firefighters killed. Cause: arson.

• Bel Air Fire (1961). Destroyed 484 homes; 112 injuries.

• Laguna Fire (1970). Burned 382 homes, 8 killed.

• Painted Cave Fire (1990). 1 death and 430 buildings burned. Cause: arson.

• Oakland firestorm (1991). 25 killed. Destroyed 2,843 single-family homes, 437 multi-family units.

• Mount Vision Fire (1995). Destroyed 45 homes. Cause: illegal campfire.

(sources: Cal-Fire, Wikipedia)

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but since the 1990s, there have been more incidences of destructive fires across the state. in 2018, approximately 1,893,913 acres burned throughout California. this page answers several frequently asked questions about California fires today and provides sources for additional reading and research. thanks for reading and stay safe!

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why does California have wildfires?

 

wildfires are naturally occurring in many of California's ecosystems, especially in forests and dry, grassy regions. in fact, fire can be a catalyst for growth. the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (aka CAL FIRE) shares:

 

"fire is a necessary part of California’s natural ecosystems.

it is a caretaker of the landscape, contributing to ecosystem health by

thinning forests, removing decayed growth, and preparing seed beds

so that new plants can grow and support wildlife." (source: CAL FIRE "Fire Plan")

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many scholars have written about fires being a natural part of California landscapes. for example, see:

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• The Effects of Fire on Soil Properties by Leonard F. DeBano (1991)

• Forest Encyclopedia Network | Encyclopedia of Southern Fire Science: Fire Effects

• Wildland Fire in Ecosystems Effects of Fire on Soil and Water

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and there are also studies done on the harmful effects of recent years' more active wildfire seasons, including:

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• New Aerial Survey Identifies More Than 100 Million Dead Trees in California

• In California, Houses Burned. So Did the Toxic Chemicals They Contained (NY Times)

• Firefighting foam leaves toxic legacy in Californians' drinking water (LA Times)

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when is "fire season"?

 

California's late summer and autumn see a peak in wildfires when warm temperature, dry soil, and high speed winds combine, making fires easy to ignite and difficult to put out.

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in the southern part of the state, "Santa Ana winds, produced by surface high pressure over the Great Basin squeezing air down through canyons and passes in Southern California's mountain ranges, are common in the fall and have a long history of fanning destructive wildfires in the region."

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🚩 a "red flag warning" is issued to the public (via weather forecast, news, etc) to warn people that fire danger is at a high level due to weather conditions.

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why are today's fires so destructive?

 

fire seasons have become long lasting and increasingly destructive in California, as well as in other states like Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana. here are some factors contributing to the destruction caused by fires in California today...

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greedy land development -

where people build housing and communities plays a significant role in civilian fire safety. since colonization, land developers from Europe and the United States have not taken into account that brush fires are part of California's natural environment, frequently building housing in hilly areas where winds reach high speeds and fire-fighting is extremely dangerous and challenging.

(see: Watch Los Angeles Develop Like Crazy in This Google Earth Time-lapse (December 2016) 

& other Time-lapses incl. the development of Las Vegas, NV and San Francisco Bay Area, CA)

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periods of drought -

California saw several back to back years of drought-level rain conditions in the 2010s.

"from 2012 to 2016, California experienced one of its deepest, longest, and warmest historical droughts. many effects from this drought to forests, native fish populations, groundwater levels, and land subsidence will endure for decades." low levels of moisture in soil make for very flammable fire seasons that last longer than usual.

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neglectful utilities maintenance -

California's private utilities company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is currently famous for being extremely bankrupt, and also for shoving its legal expenditures off on its customer base! the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA of 2018 was deemed the fault of PG&E, as were the Sonoma County fires of 2017; in fact, this year PG&E has been made to pay out over $11 billion in settlements to individuals and businesses with insurance claims from those Camp and Sonoma County fires.

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when negligent companies like PG&E and Southern California Edison are proven to have been at fault for fires that devastate communities, they should be held accountable — they should not be allowed to "pay" out billion-dollar settlements, file for bankruptcy and then raise monthly rates for the very consumers they put at risk of fire (and gas pipeline) destruction.

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in summary - 

the devastation caused by fires across California today largely is caused by settler-colonization, including: profit-seeking land development which puts people's homes in regions with high fire danger, neglectful utilities maintenance which leads to accidental fire hazards, and ongoing climate conditions like periods of drought.

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to learn more about how European colonization has created the current state of wildfire crisis affecting California and much of the United States (and planet), please read Sara Worl's article "What western states can learn from Native American wildfire management strategies." 

 

 #landback

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who fights fires in California? how do they fight them?

 

today, California has over 990 local fire departments/fire protection districts, along with California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) operating 812 bases (including 237 state run entities). Los Angeles Fire is made up of 114 independent stations.

 

CAL FIRE crews protect over 31 million acres of California's privately-owned wildlands within 36 of California's 58 counties. 

 

in support of its ground forces, the CAL FIRE emergency response air program includes Grumman S-2T 1200 gallon airtankers, UH-1H Super Huey helicopters, and OV-10A aircraft; 13 air attack and 9 helitack bases located statewide.

 

have you ever seen an aircraft dropping bright pink liquid on a fire in the hills? it's a solution known as a "retardant," which is used to slow the spread of a fire. it is made by combining a chemical salt compound, water, clay or other thickening agent, and a coloring agent.

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inmate labor -

some of the most arduous work firefighters must do is done by Californian prison inmates. these inmate laborers are deployed from one of over 40 various CAL FIRE "conservation camps." across the state. these inmates are required to dangerous physical labor for around $1 each day, including the following tasks: cut brush and trees, dig trenches, clear flood channels and storm drains, and maintain hiking trails.

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the state has used inmate labor since 1915 when the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) first began hiring out inmates for the  construction of highways and roads. in 1945, California established its first inmate firefighting program. today, CDCR, CAL FIRE and the Los Angeles County Fire Department operate 43 "adult conservation camps" in 27 counties, using the labor of an estimated 3,400 inmates.       

  (source: CNBC, "California is paying inmates $1 an hour to fight wildfires")

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can fires be prevented?

 

developed by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection with CAL FIRE, the California Fire Plan lays out official protocol for fighting forest fires statewide. it involves preventing fire by modifying the natural landscape, as well as educating the people in all communities across California about fire safety and preparedness. 

 

methods of fire prevention include:

• creation of fuel breaks / removal of hazardous vegetation / fire safe landscaping (fuel break = when firefighters remove all vegetation from the soil so that nothing is left to burn)

• ​establishment of Wildfire Protection Zones to buffer communities

• forest health treatment

• operation of control burns 

• running inspections for fire safe clearance around homes 

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one of the biggest factors in fire danger is soil moisture. California experienced a record-breaking drought from 2012-2016, with dry conditions affecting much of the state even in 2017 and 2018. 2018 was one of California's most destructive wildfire years on record. in contrast, 2019 has seen a decrease in wildfire activity this far into the fire season. scientists note that 2019 has seen a significant increase in rainfall since 2018. the NBC4 Los Angeles weather team notes that,"the combination of steady winter rainfall, an active monsoon season and high humidity has kept vegetation full of moisture. more than half our summer we've had an onshore wind and that keeps humidity in place." across the state, many share a common goal of preventing drought conditions from plaguing California, including agri-business conglomerates and environmentalists alike.

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water use and rainfall are hugely controversial topics in the state of California.  thesussery.com will certainly be covering water rights, usage and history in the future!

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