Photo by by Anya Gerasimova '21 in Salem, Oregon
by Siona Ahuja ’24
Staff Writer
Apocalyptically orange skies in California, Oregon and Washington mark a full month of forest fires raging across most of the West Coast. Beginning on Aug. 17, the “August Complex” fire is one of the largest and most destructive blazes of the 20th century. More than 3 million acres have burned in California alone, as opposed to the estimated 300,000 which burn in the average annual fire season. In addition, experts say the fire season is yet to reach peak season activity. Ireland Clare Kennedy ’21, a resident of Oakland, California, said she has witnessed many wildfires over the years, but has “never seen one this bad.”
Exacerbation of the fires has been attributed to the intense heat wave that struck California in early September, with temperatures reaching 113 F (45 C). The flora of America’s western states are extremely dry during this period, making them susceptible to large fires. Generally, dry lightning storms or even small triggers like discarded cigarettes can turn thousands of trees into ash. This year, a gender reveal party gone disastrously wrong is said to be the major cause.
In the El Dorado Ranch Park, a couple decided to reveal the sex of their baby using a pyrotechnic device (a smoke bomb rocketing blue or pink smoke). Unknown to them, the wild grass was very flammable, and this mishap led to the blaze of 10,000 acres and more than 20,000 people being evacuated from their residences.
Typically, the fire season in California and neighboring states occurs between July and November, when the winds are hot and dry. Wildfires are a natural part of forests as light fires (“light” being the key word) are beneficial to growth because the ashen remains provide high nutrients to the soil, thus yielding high quality crops. Light fires also aid in the growth of more fire resistant trees. Plants are not harmed in the process of light fires, as their roots remain viable for new plants to sprout in the winter.
Using this logic, Indigenous tribes practiced “cultural burning” in the pre-20th century era. “What we’re doing here is restoring life,” said Ron Goode, tribal chairman of the North Fork Mono, in an interview with NPR. However, beginning in the early 1900s, this practice of fighting fire with fire was banned by the government. Instead, the policy of fire suppression, in which chemical agents were used to extinguish the fires, was adopted. It caused forests to miss their fire cycles; trees grew densely; and the shrubs formed thick undergrowth and ultimately led to vast blazes.
The ancestral practice is slowly resurfacing as fires are getting increasingly uncontrollable. Tribal chiefs are partnering with state governments to carefully burn trees and minimize the risk of extensive wildfires. In Northern California, the Karuk and Yurok tribes are joining the Forest Service to oversee land with traditional values and wildfire management, two goals that work hand in hand.
COVID-19 has presented unique challenges which have been further exacerbated by the spreading wildfires. Among the worst struck by the pandemic are farmers, who have suffered an economic blow since March. In the past year, agriculture has set a record rate of bankruptcies and mental health crises. The fires have sent many crops blazing, and low visibility from fire-caused air pollution has made working on farms almost impossible. The unhealthy air quality caused by the smoke and ash also puts sensitive groups at risk for contracting the virus and compounds the symptoms of those who have tested positive. Moreover, those who are being evacuated to escape the blazes are compelled to go to crowded sites, where social distancing is impossible.
Massive levels of smoke and billowy ash have forced people to seek refuge in their houses just as they were beginning to navigate the outdoors after months of quarantining. Being cooped up has adversely impacted the mental health of many.
“You can barely see the sun,” said Alexa Harbury ’24, who lives in Tigard, Oregon. “For the whole of last week it was hard to tell what time of day it was, because everything just looked yellow or orange. It messed up my sleep schedule because I couldn’t feel when I needed to get up in the morning. Plus, it’s been stressful. We know people who are in evacuation areas and are keeping a close eye on any fire related news.”
Climate change has been declared as the primary factor that is fueling such disasters. Scientists and policymakers have revealed that an average global increase of 1 C is likely to raise the burning area by 600 percent. The governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, describes climate change as a “blowtorch over our state.”
By emitting millions of tons of greenhouse gases, industries around the world are contributing to the warming of the planet. Estimates from the World Meteorological Organization predict that a global temperature rise of 1.5 C will cause extreme changes in weather such as floods, storms and heat waves which inevitably cause more deaths. The oddities have already begun, ranging from the Australian bushfires that lasted seven months to green-colored snow in Antarctica caused by algae blooms. Scientists indicate that these are just mere forewarnings of what is about to come in the next decade. Should we not contribute to climate reform, there will be irreparable damage caused to an already unstable Earth, they warned.