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California is on fire, the question is: who is to blame?
Wildfires in California continue to burn
Video: Watson
There are scary records: a wildfire in Northern California that has raged since mid-August has engulfed an area of nearly 3,400 square kilometers, the largest fire in recent “Golden State” history.
Dozens of large fires this summer destroyed more land than ever in a year. Five megafires have advanced to the list of the 20 most devastating fires of all time in California.
Worse than the numbers are the images of the destruction, also of the neighboring state of Oregon: the towns are in ruins, in panic, many residents were able to save only a few belongings, dozens died in hell. Thick smoke obscures sunlight, soot particles from fires move to Europe.
Heated debates have been raging for some time. What are the reasons for the disaster, how can we remedy the situation? Politicians, climate protectors, and fire experts provide explanations and ask questions.
FOREST FIRE AND ELECTION CAMPAIGN
For the second time during his tenure, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, traveled to California on fire. As in 2018 in the burned ruins of Paradise, the Republican downplayed the importance of climate change this week. Instead, he blamed what he saw as poor forest management for the intensity of the fires.
His Democratic challenger Joe Biden responded immediately. Trump operates as a “climate arsonist” by continuing to deny climate change, Biden said. The Democrat did not personally travel to California, but his vice presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, did. Political leadership must take climate change seriously and do everything possible to mitigate such damage, emphasized the California senator.
EXPERTS DETECT MORE THAN ONE CAUSE
Scientists believe the climate crisis has been shown to exacerbate extreme weather events such as drought and heat, which can contribute to more violent wildfires. “What is happening here is shocking, but not a surprise,” says Timothy Ingalsbee. The longtime firefighter and environmentalist is the director of the association “Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology” in Eugene, Oregon. “Climate change has created the ideal conditions for large, rapidly spreading wildfires,” explains Ingalsbee. “Higher temperatures, lower humidity, stronger winds, more thunderstorms with lightning – these are all ‘red flag’ conditions for bad fires.”
“Of course, climate change is real, man-made, and you can see it clearly in these fires,” says Craig Clements, a climate scientist at San Jose State University. He and his team chase fires, much like the so-called storm chasers that chase hurricanes. But in addition to climate change, Clements points to the accumulation of easily combustible biomass. “In the forest there are too many dry brush and bushes that ignite quickly.”
Trees in California’s forests, weakened by droughts and a heavy bark beetle infestation, are also more susceptible to flames. The forest authority estimated the number of dead trees in Sierra Nevada at around 150 million in 2019.
FOREST MANAGEMENT AND “GOOD FIRE”
Fire suppression has been practiced in California for decades. The fire department takes immediate action against forest fires, especially if the flames threaten settlements. In the state of 40 million people, more and more people are living in fire-prone regions. “California is naturally a huge fire zone and people are at risk of living in the wild.” Firefighters have been used to fight flames for 100 years, but now this is becoming increasingly dangerous, says American environmentalist Stephen Pyne. The “fire historian,” a professor emeritus at Arizona State University, has written many books on wildfires and wildfires.
Long-term fire suppression in forests leads to a build-up of combustible material and ultimately large explosive fires, Pyne explains. He and many other experts wish for more “good fires” by more frequent and controlled burning of dense vegetation, as occurs regularly in nature. “This is what indigenous peoples have done for hundreds of years,” says Ingalsbee. “In this way the forest can be thinned and regenerated. That is good forest management, as opposed to cutting down large trees. ‘
So are the wildfires in California
Video: Watson
ANNUAL REQUIRED PROBLEM
The 2020 fire season has already destroyed more than 14,000 square kilometers of land in California, a record according to the Cal Fire authority, which has kept these annual statistics since 1987. And the worst may yet be to come for the state, as fire season usually peaks in late fall after a long dry summer. “This is the fourth year in a row with large fires, there are no more breaks, year after year it falls on us and autumn is yet to come,” said fire ecologist Pyne.
“Wildfires cannot be denied more than climate change,” says ecologist Ingalsbee. Something can only be achieved on a scientific basis beyond party politics. “The last thing we need right now is Trump’s hot air.” A change of government in the November elections gives him some hope that climate change will be taken seriously, Ingalsbee says. (aeg / sda / dpa)
