Why are there massive wildfires in California and what’s the solution?

The wildfire that erupted in LA’s Pacific Palisades locality, the first one in the last two days, has become the most destructive fire in the history of the city, read an AP report. Over 1,000 structures have been destroyed in the fire.

While LA reels under the series of wildfires that are erupting one after another, it is notable that this is not even the usual wildfire season in California. The state usually witnesses wildfires through the drier months of May or June till October. However, this period seems to have expanded in recent years as California witnesses untimely wildfires.

Why California Witnesses Wildfires

Wildfires in California are not an uncommon phenomenon, the state has always been vulnerable to them due to dry weather conditions throughout summers along with winds. However, wildfires in the state have become much more frequent in recent years owing to man-made causes such as climate change.

Wildfires can be caused by a variety of factors, including both natural and man-made. According to a report by USA Today, lightning is one of the most common natural causes of wildfires. If lightning touches dry leaves or vegetation, also known as dry fuel, it could spark a fire which could spread uncontrollably if paired with strong winds, said the report.

Roadside ignition is a common man-made cause of wildfires, said the report citing Luca Carmignani, a Fire Advisor from the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. “For example, you have a truck with a train that drags on the road and generates sparks…Or you have like a catalytic converter, there are different ways that cars and trucks can start a fire from the road,” said Carmignani.

Sometimes, strong winds can hit power lines, causing them to move which can also ignite wildfires, he added. Even camp fires, if not extinguished properly, can lead to a huge wildfire, he said. If camp fire is not put out, “it can smolder for days and eventually, when something gets moved, the smoldering goes back to flaming and that starts a fire.”

According to a 2022 audit by the state of California, the state utilities are not doing enough to lessen the risk of wildfires. A section of the audit report was titled “Utilities will need to make further improvements to the electrical grid to reduce the risk of wildfires and to prevent power shutoffs and unplanned outages”, while another part of the report read, “the Energy Safety Office issued the 2020 safety certifications to the three largest utilities, even though it identified serious deficiencies in each of their mitigation plans”.

According to the US’ National Park Service (NPS), around 85% of wildfires in the country are caused by humans. “Human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson,” says an NPS article.

Role of Climate Change

While California has been witnessing wildfire long before the term ‘climate change’ came into action, the recent phenomenon has certainly caused an alarming frequency in such wildfires and made things worse so much so that the state now witnesses a wildfire season almost all-year long.

According to the US’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States during the last two decades.”

To cause a wildfire, a number of factors such as temperature, humidity, lack of moisture in fuels, such as trees, shrubs, grasses and forest debris need to align. “All these factors have strong direct or indirect ties to climate variability and climate change,” said NOAA.

What’s the solution?

While climate change action, even if started now with all efficiency, will take years to repair any damage, people can still make more conscious choices to help prevent wildfires since most of them are man-made.

California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection suggests obtaining necessary permits for campfires along with checking for any fire-related restrictions in the locality and also ensuring extinguishing the campfire properly before leaving.

US’ Department of the Interior advises building campfires in open locations, keeping vehicles and any equipment that can cause a spark off dry grass and vegetation, maintaining vehicles and other equipment regularly to avoid ignition of any spark, checking weather conditions before fireworks and not to burn debris when it is windy or restricted.