Why Are the California Wildfires So Bad?

Written By Extra Shot Copy
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There are three months left of 2020 and California has already experienced 8,100 wildfires this year. These fires have burned their way through almost 4 million acres of land.1 Towns have been destroyed, lives have been lost, and there are still 26 fires that haven’t been put out yet.

With how devastating these fires are, it may be a shock to find out that wildfires are actually a natural part of how West Coast ecosystems work. The wildfires we see today, however, aren’t on a normal scale. Land management issues and climate change are at the heart of why California is so easy to go up in flames.

What causes wildfires?

I’m sure you’ve heard about wildfires being caused by gender reveal parties gone wrong (what happened to just baking a cake with food coloring?). Many of these wildfires have been started by people being irresponsible in a climate that is so easily destroyed by one little spark.

In fact, 85% of wildfires in the US are caused by people.2

The ways in which humans cause fires range from unattended campfires to improper disposal of cigarettes to malfunctioning equipment (like the ones at gender reveal parties – seriously, you guys need to stop that.)2

Natural causes of wildfires can be from super dry, dead plants spontaneously combusting or from lightning. Lightning tends to be the more common, natural way wildfires are started. Hot lightning, which is when the lightning has less voltage, but a longer duration, tends to be what starts the wildfires.2

How do wildfires affect the environment?

When we look at the wildfires we have now, we see the incredible destruction they wreak across acres and acres of land. But normal wildfires, the ones that have been part of the Western ecosystem for centuries, are actually beneficial to their environment.

Wildfires get rid of the dead trees and plants and other debris that are within the forest – so it can be cleared out and bring new growth.

Certain plants actually don’t even release their seeds until a wildfire comes through the area. The ash left behind fertilizes the soil for new life.3 In Yellowstone, some of the plant life needs the fire to remove the forest canopy in order to grow and establish itself as part of the ecosystem.4

People may worry about the animals within the forests, but many of them have actually adapted to wildfires. They sense that it’s coming and flee to a safer area or stand in streams. Smaller animals burrow under logs, rocks, or underground.3

Some species of wildlife need a younger forest habitat in order to thrive, while others need an older one. When a wildfire comes through, it leaves behind the makings of a younger forest, which tends to be very productive. Animals like deer, elk, bears, woodpeckers, and reptiles can actually increase in number after a wildfire.5

It would be a lie to say that all animals benefit from fire, however. Ash can run into water systems and harm fish, ground-nesting bird species need to reestablish their nests, and sick animals or very young animals may not be able to escape the fires.6 However, none of these animals are strangers to the natural wildfires on the West Coast. It’s a natural process of the ecosystem making itself healthy and productive.

Why have wildfires gotten so bad in 2020?

Climate change is the big reason wildfires have gotten so bad in recent years. Temperatures are rising, which means that the snow doesn’t last as long. This leads to drier forests, which means longer lasting fire seasons with fires that burn longer and more intensely.7

When the forests burn, they release carbon dioxide they’ve been storing, which adds to the threat of climate change. So we find ourselves in a cycle:

More greenhouse gases released = more climate change = hotter temperatures = bigger fires

Another big reason is failure of land management. Fires have always been a natural part of the Western United States’ ecosystem, but when people suppress fires, like they have over the last century or so, the forests become denser and literally add more fuel to the fire.7

Without smaller fires to burn away the dead trees and underbrush, they just sit there, dry and ready to spark.

Another contributor is unsustainable logging practices.8 Fires actually burn hotter and faster through areas where logging took down trees. Taking down trees means less shade, which means a hotter, drier area that welcomes wildfires right in.9 Logging also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which puts us back into that cycle.9

What are the consequences of wildfires?

The consequences are loss of homes, habitat, and lives. But there is also a huge financial consequence. Not only are businesses burning down, but the money needed to fight wildfires is increasing.

The US spent less than half a billion in 1985 to fight wildfires. In 2017, they spent 3 billion dollars.7

It costs us billions to fight these wildfires.

Without long-term solutions – like managing the forests better to have more prescribed burns to promote healthier forests, and tackling climate change – we are going to see more land burn, more homes, businesses, and lives lost to these out of control fires, and more displacement as a result.7

These wildfires are a warning

These wildfires go beyond the states they’re in. The smoke travels into other states and affects the air quality, it affects travel to those states, and it affects local businesses. These fires affect all of us by contributing to global warming.

They are a warning that we need to take serious action to tackle climate change and care for our environment.

If you run a business with an environmental or conservation focus, make sure you’re keeping your audience in the loop on what efforts you’re taking to save the planet and how they can help you reach your goals.

As a copywriter, I help connect you with your audience. Through optimized blogs, we increase traffic to your website and educate your readers on what they need to know about your mission, action steps you’re taking, and what they can do to help.

You cannot reach your goals without a motivated audience behind you. They’re the driving force that gives you the financial and social support you need to reach your goals.

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