Sam Jang - Wildfires in California

January 27, 2019

1/27/2019
Sam Jang

   The notion of Wildfires seems to remain trivial, unimportant for those who live in the eastern or northern part of our country. Nonetheless, states in the western part of the US react to the term "Wildfire" in a entirely different manner.

   Mostly revolving around the West, Wildfires are commonly known as uncontrolled bursts of fire due to sparks or blazes that occur in extremely dry conditions. Wildfires usually burn 4 to 5 million acres of the US territory and can speed up to about 14 mi/hr, leaving nothing behind its trail but a pile of ash. Wildfires may harm not only the animals that live in dry areas, but also people who live near or in states with dry weathers and climates.

   What seemed quite intriguing about the concept of Wildfires, especially in California, is that the cause of such catastrophic event is directly rooted within human activities. Unlike other natural disasters, Wildfires simply seemed like a problem that we could fix on our own, only if we gather together to come up with a distinct solution. One could be creating different types of insulating or non-conducting material for objects that could create a heat or even a small spark.

   After researching data related to wildfires in California, I realized how one spark of fire can spread so fast and wide, to the point of demolishing 6000 homes and killing 44 people. Total damage done by the Wildfire was $9 billion, along with casualties. Such devastating event enabled me to think there must be a way to stop what seemed to be quite preventable.

Questions
- How can we, as students, stand up and help prevent the Wildfires in California?
- Can advanced technology have connection to preventing such disastrous events?

Citations
- https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/15/us/camp-fire-paradise-cause.html
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/wildfires/
- https://weather.com/news/news/where-large-fires-are-most-common
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/california-wildfires

Comments

Anonymous said…

This was an interesting and informational post! People all over the country heard about the wildfires that devastated California, but there was so much that could have been done to prevent them. Just by ensuring that smokers extinguish cigarettes completely, watching fires while camping or cooking, and planting trees a far enough distance apart, we can help reduce the risk of wildfires. Even as students, we can make sure that our lawns are cleanly mowed and the debris is thoroughly disposed of! Wildfires can severely damage ecosystems, habitats, and intricate food webs, so if we can do anything to prevent wildfires, then we should.

January 27, 2019 at 7:30 PM

Anonymous said…

It’s always weird that wildfires can produce such varying effects. Typically, it’s easy to hold one view or another: either wildfires suck, or wildfires benefit the environment. The aforementioned California fires have been devastating, and are often preventable. However, wildfires elsewhere clear out dead organisms, replenish nutrients in the soil, and allow new trees to grow. So while it is easy to say “don’t cause wildfires,” we do have to remember that controlled burns and certain wildfires do far more good than harm.

January 28, 2019 at 6:08 AM

Anonymous said…

As we have discussed in class, wildfires can be incredibly helpful to an environment, making way for new plants to grow. However, while this can be good if nature accomplishes this by itself, when human interference comes in, it is no longer beneficial. I have seen on the news about many wildfires that had been started because people had been incredibly, incredibly negligent / ignorant. A small cigarette, a firework, any fire warnings not heeded, leads to lives lost, homes lost, and futures destroyed.

January 28, 2019 at 6:39 AM

Anonymous said…

Growing up in a place where massive wildfires have never been a direct threat to me or my home, I feel fortunate to be in the dark about the threat that they pose. The proper disposal of flames is essential to helping prevent fires everywhere; one spark can ignite a city. From cigarettes, to campfires, to grills, to trash burning, we start fires all the time. Each person’s responsibility is simply to extinguish their flames or get help in order to do so. My heart goes out to the victims of the Californian wildfires.

January 28, 2019 at 7:23 AM

Anonymous said…

In the modern day the number of wildfires has increased by 4-6 times as likely over the past 30 years. The increased number of wildfires will only get worse in the future and with the rising temperatures and overall warming of earth, we can expect more fires in the future. Since global warming brings warmer and more dry temperatures to the already moist and forested areas, these places have a higher chance of being destroyed to forest fires in the future. However, grasslandsmay be at less of a rise of being destroyed of forest fires since the aridity will prevent grass from growing at all. Although the idea of less wildfires in grasslands sounds ideal, that also means there is less land for growing crops.

January 28, 2019 at 9:19 AM

Anonymous said…

Wildfires have become one of the more prevalent issues recently, so it is fitting that you researched this rather than a more outdated topic. It’s devastating how much destruction that a simple spark can cause, especially when wildfires are so preventable. I feel that even as students in Texas, we can raise awareness for the effects of environmental damage and help people understand what they can do to help. With advanced technology, wildfires and other natural disasters can become more preventable by allowing us to better anticipate these disasters as well as lessen the magnitude of damage after they start.

January 28, 2019 at 7:55 PM

Anonymous said…

I know that just recently, wildfires devasted Southern California, creating the deadliest and most destructive wildfire season on record in California. The insurance claims for the 2018 wildfire season is currently at over 12 billion, and still growing. I think it is interesting how one tiny spark can spread so quickly, and how just one small misstep by one human can potentially create billions of dollars worth of damage. In my opinion, it is impossible to stop nature from creating wildfires, but human-created wildfires are easily preventable, and steps need to be taken to reduce the number of human-created wildfires.

January 28, 2019 at 8:57 PM

Anonymous said…

That is a good obersvation, wildfires are a double edged sword. Without proper preventative measures humans are liable to destroy more than the environment is able to replace. But one thing I have learned about (beyond how nutrients are returned to the ecosystem through fire) is how controlled burns will lower the chance of wildfires destroying the sheer amount of acreage they tend to do.

January 29, 2019 at 6:19 AM

Anonymous said…

Given the recent catastrophe in California, I think this post on wildfires is very relevant. Some ways that we, as members of society, can do to prevent wildfires is to never leave a fire unattended, avoid spilling flammable liquids, and not discarding unextinguished cigarettes in the wild. In terms of technology, the government or private organizations can participate in active forest management, fund more wildfire-fighting programs in fire departments, and simply bringing more awareness to the issue in wildfire-prone areas.

January 29, 2019 at 6:21 AM

Anonymous said…

Wildfires have immense power, just like big businesses. I found some recent news that the nation's largest utility filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California. The utility faces hundreds of lawsuits from thousands of plaintiffs involving that fire and others in recent years including the Camp Fire in November 2018, the nation's deadliest blaze in more than a century that killed 86 people and destroyed about 15,000 homes, as well as hundreds of commercial structures.

January 29, 2019 at 10:54 AM

Anonymous said…

Since the devastations of wildfires in California, the topic of wildfires has been on everyone’s mind. It’s concerning to think of how one small spark can lead to a whole entire area up in flames in the matter of minutes. Although wildfires can be sparked naturally, a good portion of wildfires are anthropogenic. California, for example, is a very populated state. With a growing population, the people need more and more water. Water that would go towards the wildlife and nature is rerouted to serve humans, and because of that plants are drier than ever. That makes them more susceptible to burning. You need three things to make a fire: fuel, oxygen, and a spark. By redirecting water that could be used in forests, we are creating an environment that is perfect for a large fire. The wildfires in California was a huge wake up call for America, and it brings the question as to what we can do to prevent future wildfires from occurring.

January 29, 2019 at 11:21 AM

Anonymous said…

This is a very interesting post! As someone who used to live in Southern California, the effect that wildfires can have on communities hits close to home. Sadly, wildfires are largely caused by humans. For example, unattended campfires, cigarettes, and fireworks can cause fires to spread rapidly and cause great damage. It’s effects sadly, are horrendous; lives, vegetation, and homes are stripped away. Thus, we all have a responsibility to make sure we take proper precautions to end any chance that a fire may be created from our actions.

January 29, 2019 at 11:50 AM

Anonymous said…

Having lived in Texas for the majority of my life, I can’t say that wildfires have directly affected me in the past. However, after reading this post, I’m able to grasp a better understanding of the extent to which wildfires have devastated human populations- the cause of which can only fall on our own actions. As students, we can work to bring more awareness to causes and the damaging effects of wildfires, and make sure that we do our best to minimize potential fire hazards in our communities.

January 29, 2019 at 7:13 PM

Anonymous said…

I agree with the solutions you have come up with to combat the negative effects of wildfires. Even though we live in Texas, hundreds of miles away from the roaring fires in California, we are impacted by the increased carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. Even though we are so far away from the actual fires, we can help do our part to eliminate carbon emissions by doing the things you listed, which essential comes down to educating yourself on how to safely handle fires and prevent them.

January 31, 2019 at 5:59 PM

Anonymous said…

I remember during class discussion, I learned that fires can, in fact, have positive effects on the environment. However, with the most recent wildfires in California last year, it’s hard to use that as a justification for not trying to prevent these wildfires from starting. So many people lost their homes, and some even possibly lost their loved ones. I have never personally been affected by wildfires, but I can’t imagine one day escaping my house before it is overtaken by flames.

January 31, 2019 at 7:02 PM

Anonymous said…

I found your article to be very informative! Forest Fires have been increasing as an issue and it is crucial that we implement something to prevent them. I know that recently California has been greatly affected by wildfires as many people have lost their homes and some even their life. I also find it ironic that sometimes farmers purposely set fire to fields of agricultural land in order to facilitate the growth of nutrients and plants. Despite this, I feel that it is important to decreased the probability of these fires, especially in places with drier climates such as California.

February 1, 2019 at 6:49 PM

Anonymous said…

I agree, it seems that wildfires present both disastrous and beneficial effects to society and the environment. I personally find it incredible (in not necessarily a good way) how a single flame can trigger the expansion of fire for miles. I was not aware that wildfires produced $9 billion in damage and repairs. I believe that it is our reposnsibility to not necessarily attempt to prevent wildfires (they do benefit the environment) but to limit the disastrous effects the manmade fires from human mistakes, such as accidental cigarette litter or campfires.

February 1, 2019 at 7:54 PM

Anonymous said…

Severe wildfires are posing a threat to wooded communities in the West, and there is no simple solution to prevent these fires. But first it is important to acknowledge that small, controlled fires are healthy for ecosystems, as they allow new life to flourish. The majority of wildfires serve this purpose; it is important to draw the line between uncontrollable, problematic wildfires and mild ones. In order to reduce the damage done by severe wildfires, wooded communities should invest in fire-resistance material for building their houses. Anyone in the forest who disposes of cigarettes or matches or other flammable material in wooded areas should be heavily fined.

February 2, 2019 at 9:19 AM

Anonymous said…

It seems that wildfires have polarizing effects, either they pave the way for new growth or decimate a well functioning ecosystem. It also seems that any wildfire started by human activity falls into the latter category. The most obvious answers to preventing future wildfires would be to use fire-resistant building materials, properly dispose of flammable materials and cigarettes, and monitor any fires being used. However, I believe the prevention of wildfires should be taken a step further by prohibiting the use of flammable materials and the use of flames within a certain radius of California’s forests. Given the increased frequency of wildfires, increasing the security on wildfire prevention measures would allow for resources to be diverted to solve the long term human causes of wildfires without the pressure of another fire breaking out.

February 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM

Anonymous said…

I agree that California needs to find ways to prevent the devastating wildfires that are wreaking havoc on the state. I researched some preventative steps California can take so that the effects of wildfires are decreased. According to experts, the measures are relatively easy. For example building houses with fire resistant techniques and better quality building techniques may cost more money but would decrease the damages done to home that are built especially in the heavily wooded landscapes. Another measure that California can take is to remove the many eucalyptus trees. There are many accounts of those trees instantly exploding into flames when only sparks land on them. There are millions of dollars going into fighting these fires however California would benefit long term if those same millions was going into preventing the wildfires.

February 3, 2019 at 8:16 PM

Anonymous said…

After doing a little research on wild fires, I noticed a lot of the articles talked about what causes them and how fire fighters stop them. It takes thousands of firefighters, in the case of California’s infernos, to beat a wild fire. The majority of the time, fires become too big to fight directly with water. Fire fighters can only prevent fires from becoming bigger by creating barries. They so by creating trenches and removing any fuel to the fire. They also pump water through these barries to stop it. Through all the articles, it talks very little on how, we as citizens, can help prevent these fires from happening. Wild fires are a huge problem as they cause billions of dollars in damage. A solution needs to be found soon.

February 3, 2019 at 9:49 PM

Anonymous said…

It is very interesting that you wrote about wildfires, especially after the California fires. This shows how prevalent of an issue that wildfires have become. From the news, recently, we have already seen the damage that wildfires can do, and your article only provides more insight into this. Just a small spark can become so huge, taking out homes and destroying habitats. We should work hard to prevent wildfires, for example, with trenches and advanced water pumps. Moreover, we can also better anticipate wildfires through weather patterns and technology.

February 3, 2019 at 10:02 PM

Anonymous said…

I agree that wildfires can be important for the environment. They are often essential for natural growth - they return nutrients to the soil by burning dead or decaying matter, act as a disinfectant, removing disease-ridden plants and harmful insects from a forest ecosystem, and burn through thick canopies and brush undergrowth, allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor, enabling a new generation of seedlings to grow. However, human caused wildfires are becoming more prevalent: in fact, four out of five wildfires are caused by humans. For this reason, it is important that we take steps to curb the number of anthropogenic wildfires, to allow for the proper natural growth of ecosystems and reduce damage.

February 4, 2019 at 7:49 AM

Anonymous said…

In light of the recent wildfires in California, the discussion of possible solutions is timely. Obviously, the most efficient way to stop wildfires is to educate the public on the dangerous of carelessly disposing of lit cigarettes and how to effectively put out a camp fire/bonfire. Unfortunately, people are resistant to change so the best way to fight wildfires is to mitigate the damage. Sufficient investment in the fire department and research initiatives could help.

February 4, 2019 at 7:50 AM

Anonymous said…

I’m in the same boat. I have lived in Texas for my whole life can do not know much about wildfires other than what I have heard in the news. Due to these kinds of posts, I’m hopeful that people like us can learn more and be aware on how we can all do something to prevent such things in the future for the betterment of our planet. Wildfires can have huge everlasting impacts on both us and our environment, and it would be wise to acknowledge and do something about it.

February 4, 2019 at 8:09 AM

Anonymous said…

Not only is preventing natural wildfires near impossible, but it can also be very harmful. Wildfires reset the land that it clears and provides nutrients for the soil. Because of this, new generations of wildlife has a proper habitat to grow and thrive in. If it weren’t for the fires, vegetation would have to continue growing in nutrient depleted soil and have too much competition. On top of that, fires can help eradicate diseases and pests that are very harmful to native species. To conclude, wildfires are essential to the way that nature works, so our goal should not be to stop all fires but to try and reduce human influence on nature. The goal should be to stop CREATING fires.

February 4, 2019 at 9:54 AM

Anonymous said…

This was a very interesting post and immediately reminded me of the recent wildfires in California. The Woolsey fire in California burned 96,949 acres of land and devastated the areas that it spread to. Wildfires can have a considerable impact on the environment, especially on plant species. Although plant species and communities in western areas adapt to typical fire patterns over time, if the cycle changes suddenly it may take a much longer time for the habitat to recover and could lead to a loss in biodiversity. In fact, a biologist from the SMMNRA informed the LA times that it will take 10-20 years for the affected areas to recover ecologically.

February 4, 2019 at 12:20 PM

Anonymous said…

This is an interesting and informational post! It is crazy how many wildfires are caused directly through human activity. Through my own research I have found that 85% of almost all wildfires are caused by human activity. These activities include not paying attention to burning campfires, leaving cigarette butts on the ground, burning debris, public arson through burning, and much more. Because of the time we live in, technology plays a big role in controlling and monitoring wildfires. Satellites are able to monitor wildfires at an early stage and before they grown out of control. Drones have great uses in combatting wildfires. They can have thermal and regular imaging and can fly where no manned aircraft can fly. These drones are used for mapping and hotspot detection. Another surprising technology that helps us is robots. There are firefighting robots that can battle wildfires in even the most extremes conditions. Another tool is virtual reality. CR trains wild land firefighters who parachute into remote area to combat wildfires. Lastly there are low powered Internet of Thing (loT). These are connected sensors that are used to gather data from remote areas the are prone to wildfires. All of these new technologies help prevent and protect society from dangerous wildfires.

February 4, 2019 at 6:07 PM

Anonymous said…

This is a great observation, I feel the same sense of relief when I hear about the prevalence of wildfires in other parts of the country. Here in Texas, we are fortunate enough that we do not have to directly deal with the devastating impacts of widespread wildfires, however, this gives us more initiative to raise awareness about ways to prevent wildflowers. We certainly include fire in several aspects of both recreation and waste management, if we could come up with more environmentally sustainable methods for this the prevalence of wildflowers could be greatly reduced.

February 4, 2019 at 11:24 PM

Cathy Kim said…

Having lived in Colorado and Texas for most of my life, I've been grateful enough to not have to experience a wildfire. Wildfires have been occurring more frequently and unfortunately most of them are caused by the carelessness of humans. I feel that people are not being educated enough about how to properly put out campfires and when and where you shouldn't be doing fireworks or cigarettes and etc.

February 19, 2019 at 7:47 PM

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