There have been many speculations on who and what started the west coast fires. According to Climatefeedback.org, the fires have been ignited by many sources such as lightning, power lines, and even a smoke machine at a party. The rapid spread of these fires have been attributed to summer and record high heat levels. Some people have speculated that the fires have been started by arsonists and protestors across the state, but these rumors have largely been proven false.

The West coast fires have spread very far and some of the smoke has even reached New Jersey. Fires have already burned about 2.3 million acres of land this year, which is a new record for California. Kate Brown, Oregon governor 35 fires are burning across 300,000 acres in Oregon alone. The Marion County Sheriffs Department has already linked at least 2 deaths to the fires. There are at least 87  wildfires on the west coast that are currently burning. These numbers are unprecedented rising every day.

The wildfires on the west coast could be attributed to global warming. There are other reasons for the spread, of course, but most of it comes from global warming. Global warming has caused record heat summers and large droughts. This lack of moisture in the atmosphere has caused a very dry climate in the forest, which easily allows for the spread of fires. It is very hard to contain these fires because every time one blaze is trapped, another one appears and takes up the time of local authorities.

https://www.npr.org/2020/08/14/902581715/wildfire-season-is-off-to-a-roaring-start-in-california-and-colorado 

The fires have been reported as early as 2018. We are very early in the wildfire season, which starts around spring/summer. There are new fires every day and they are very hard to predict. The dry summer climate makes it very easy for fires to spread do to a decrease in the amount of moisture that is in the air. This year has also had record low amounts of rain on the West coast, which is most likely another reason for the fires.

 

For centuries the  firefighters have been trying to suppress the fires to stop burning wood, but as more people move over to the west coast they try to suppress them from hitting houses and hurting people. Every year the firefighters stop thousands of fires before they get out of hand. I believe that the firefighters are very brave people because they sacrifice their life to stop fires from hurting anyone else. The fires are very strong and not easy to put out. The fires are worse when the forest has many leaves and bushes on the ground.

The fires take a lot of money from the government which could be used for things like paving roads. Because they take so much money they can fund it all and that's why it is harder to take out.california and oregon have millions of acres of restoring land. They have to trim the trees and rake the leaves to prevent bad forest fires.

Wildfires are a horrible thing and they hurt many people and families. The government and normal people are all trying their hardest to prevent them before they happen.president trump says that raking the leaves off the floor of the forests will reduce the risk of fires and i agree with that. I agree with that because if someone were to throw a cigarette bud on the ground for example it could catch on fire and make a forest fire. Without the leaves that wouldn't happen. 

     Firefighters put out wildfires.  They use a variety of equipment, such as engines, pumps, and bulldozers.  They also use aircraft like helicopters for an aerial view of the fire.

    On the West Coast, wildfires are burning hotter than ever because of climate change.  People keep moving to areas with an increased risk of wildfires so now their houses are getting destroyed.  A fire from California in 2017 burned 8,800 homes, and a year later a fire also in California burned 16,000 structures.  Scientists believe that these wildfires will not go away and will only get worse.

    The biggest wildfire in California that is occurring now is in Humboldt.  It has burned 839,175 acres and only 30% of that has been contained.  This means that about 587,423 acres of land is getting destroyed.  The only good news is that once firefighters keep containing the area, the amount of acres getting destroyed will go down.

On August 16th, 2020, a wildfire called the August Complex started. It has been 31 days and the wildfire is only 30% contained. This fire has burned down 839,175 acres of trees so far. This fire's cause was lightning. This fire is the largest recorded fire in California history. When the August Complex started, there were initially 37 different fires on the Mendocino National Forest. On September 11th, 2020, the fires Elkhorn, Hopkins, Willow, and Vinegar were combined and are now known together as the August Complex. 

https://www.capradio.org/articles/2020/09/17/latest-updates-on-northern-california-wildfires/ 

 

During these wildfires, there can be a lot of danger to the amount of smoke. Normally this would be dangerous on it’s own, but it’s even worse because a lot of the materials used to properly protect yourself are not necessarily in stock due to Covid-19. If you need to go outside you should wear a proper face covering, but cloth masks and surgical masks do not protect you from the wildfire smoke. If you are going to be outside for an extended period of time with this wildfire smoke, you should wear a N95 respirator. If you want one of these, you may not be able to get one, they are currently more reserved for doctors treating people. If you do happen to get your hands on one of these, that is great because it can help protect you from both the smoke and the germs from Covid-19. This is good for the wearer of the mask, but it does little to help you not pass off germs to other people. 

https://www.capradio.org/articles/2020/08/20/the-air-is-full-of-dangerous-wildfire-smoke-and-viral-particles-whats-the-best-protection-for-your-health/ 

 

Drought, winds, and extreme heat can make a fire bigger, faster, and more dangerous. That is why in places with these kinds of weather conditions, you should be extra careful. Ways you can prevent a fire in by: not leaving a fire unattended, not starting fires on windy days, make sure nothing that can catch on fire is near a fire, make sure your fire is completely out before leaving it, don’t use fireworks on windy nights, don’t use fireworks near trees, etc. If you make smart decisions, you can prevent these wildfires from even starting. 

https://scijinks.gov/wildfires/ 

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/wildfire/how-to-prevent-wildfires.html 

 

Climate change plays a big part in these wildfires. The warmer, drier conditions, increased drought, and a longer fire season are boosting these increases in wildfire risk, but more than 80%  in the USA of wildfires are caused by humans. Changes in climate are expected to continue to increase the area affected by wildfires in the United States. 

https://www.c2es.org/content/wildfires-and-climate-change/ 

 

Nifc.gov

The fires on the West Coast have been spreading tremendously fast, but how did they start? On the website, npr.org, it states, “To be clear, climate change certainly plays a central role in these fires' alarming scale and severity, but it's not the only reason we're seeing such deadly and destructive blazes, especially in the iconic — and typically wet — woods of the Pacific Northwest.” (Siegler, Paragraph 4). Currently 3 fires have been contained (2 in Washington, 1 in California). There are many reasons why wildfires start, including climate change, the area of the wildfires, and human causes like campfires and not putting out cigarettes.

Second Paragraph: How the Wildfires have grown/spread

Wildfires can be very scary since they spread so fast from such a small spark. They grow to be dangerous to the people and animals that live in the area of the fire. On the website, scijinks.gov, it states, “Wildfires are uncontrolled fires that spread quickly, destroying homes and the environment nearby. Conditions in the weather and environment—such as drought, winds and extreme heat—can cause a fire to spread more quickly.” (scijinks, Paragraph 1). Because the West coast specifically is a very dry, hot area wildfires are very likely to happen there.

Third Paragraph: How to survive a Wildfire

If you live near an active wildfire, it is important to know ways to stay safe ahead of time to survive. One way that you can do that is to evacuate when the authorities tell you to do so. If the authorities don’t tell you to evacuate but there is smoke outside of where you live/work, it is important to stay inside. Another thing to remember is to have an N95 mask to protect yourself from COVID-19 and the smoke of the fire. If you were evacuated make sure to listen to authorities of when to come back and take pictures of any damage that may have occurred while you were gone. 

Fourth Paragraph: How to prevent a Wildfire

Preventing a Wildfire is a lot easier than stopping one. Humans often have to do with wildfires. If you are dealing with flammable liquids/objects, then make sure you clean up whatever you were dealing with. You also shouldn’t throw your cigarette butts out the car window. Another thing that you can do is make sure that you extinguish campfires when you are done with them and report open fires to the authorities. That way, there won’t be a huge fire that spreads everywhere.

For the past five years, the wildfires in California have been worsening. They are much larger in size, hotter, and have been the most harmful and destructive in recorded history. The wildfires are much more extreme since the forests haven’t been cleared for decades. This means that the forest floor is full of flammable dead branches and bushes. Since the Great Fires of 1910, there was a policy made to not let wildfires burn and to try to stop them instead. This has resulted in several more acres of trees that are filled with combustible vegetation, adding more fuel to the fire.

Climate change has contributed greatly to the cause of wildfires because of the increased heat, droughts, gusty winds, and insect outbreaks. All of these raise the chances of wildfire in certain areas on the west coast. Global warming and the changes in climate have led to drier conditions that increase fire activity.

Some wildfires begin unexpectedly, but nearly 95% of fires in California are actually caused by humans. This could occur from campfires being left unattended, equipment use and malfunctions, intentional acts, etc. Many states in the west are growing in terms of people and homes, particularly in the areas that are more vulnerable to fire. These homes must be protected.

Even though wildfires are usually fast-spreading, there are ways you can prepare for them if they were to happen near you. One of the ways that you can prepare yourself if one were to happen is to sign up for a warning system. These emergency alerts will alert you if it’s critical for you to leave your area or even flee the state. Some examples of these emergency alert systems include the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). Another way that you can be prepared if an accident like this were to happen is to know your local escape routes and ways to leave your area if you need to. Knowing these is very helpful so you do not need to spend time looking for the safest way out. In critical situations, you have to act fast and think fast as well. Knowing your local escape route and being prepared can save lives. 

https://www.ready.gov/wildfires

Contribution Two: 

The California Wildfires have already done an immense amount of damage in the time that they have started. To have an example of how many acres have been burned in just one forest fire, we can observe the August Complex Fire in California. It has burned 839,175 acres of land, and it is only thirty percent contained. Keep in mind that this is only one forest fire alone. We can take a look at the North Complex fire that is also in California. That fire has burned 280,775 acres of land. And this fire is only thirty-six percent contained. This means that more land could be burned in the future if it is not contained. We can also take a look at one of the wildfires from Oregon. The Beachie Creek fire in Oregon has burned 190,660.75 acres. At this point, it’s only twenty percent contained. As you can see from the three examples that I have given, fire spreads very quickly and can burn thousands of acres of land when it’s not even half contained! Another piece of example is the Holiday Farm wildfire in Oregon. It has burned 170,717.32 acres of land while it has only been ten percent contained! Wildfires in places like California and Oregon can be intense and out of control!

Contribution Three:

Wildfire’s can be caused in different ways. For example, to take a look at the August Complex fire. This fire began on August 16th and it’s burned 839,175 acres in that time span from there to now. This massive forest fire was caused because of lightning. Other ways forest fires can start include the heat that comes from the sun and human error. In fact, a large amount of wildfires are initiated by human error. Around eighty-five percent of wildfires are caused by humans. Examples of how a human can start a wildfire include them leaving their campfire unattended, cigars and cigarettes not being disposed of properly and mistakes while using equipment. And in addition to this, lots of dry land and extreme heat can make wildfires worse than they already were! And places like California have both dry land and extreme heat. 

Contribution Four: 

After reading all of the information and statistics about wildfires, it can be hard not to wonder: Why are wildfires so dangerous? There are many reasons for this. Wildfires can increase the chances of flooding, landslides, and debris flows. These are all other natural disasters that can cause more destruction and put more people in danger. The chances of these natural disasters happening increases due to these wildfires because bare ground is more exposed and a lack of vegetation can make these more prone to happen. Some of the time, the landslides, debris flows, and flooding are more dangerous and destructive than the fire itself. And with the immense amount of wildfires that are happening currently growing, the chances of these natural disasters happening increase as well. Another reason as to why wildfires are so dangerous is because of the smoke that is a result of them. Smoke contains pollutants that are not good for the human body, and these can cause health issues. Smoke inhalation can cause respiratory issues like asthma to be worse. It can also make diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease unpleasant and severe as well. Wildfires can also destroy habitats of animals, which can wipe them extinct. It can kill or their food source or destroy the species’ home all together. There are short term effects of wildfires and long term effects. An example of a long term effect is the destruction of cultural and economic resources, along with the demolition of community infrastructure. 

Wildfires have multiple causes for how they are started, but the main reason for wildfires is humans. Some of the ways humans cause forest fires are by leaving campfires unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, intentional acts of arson, and much more. Many of the wildfires in California were started by 12,00 strikes of lightning over a 72-hour period causing more than 560 new wildfires. On August 17, a series of lightning strikes started hundreds of fires across Northern California, which was then dubbed the Lightning Complex fires. As of September 8, CalFire reported that 10 wildfires were burning across California. In recent years, California’s climate has gotten hotter. Drier conditions means less snowpack in the Sierras, less runoff in the spring, and less moisture for vegetation. These conditions have made it especially easy for massive wildland fires to ignite and quickly burn through parched vegetation.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm#:~:text=Nearly%2085%20percent*%20of%20wildland,and%20intentional%20acts%20of%20arson.&text=Lightning%20is%20one%20of%20the%20two%20natural%20causes%20of%20fires.

Prisoners have helped California fight fires for decades, playing a crucial role in containing the blazes striking the state with more frequency and ferocity in years. Some ways citizens can help prevent forest fires is by reporting unattended fires, extinguish fire pits and campfires when done, stop throwing lit cigarettes out of your moving car, use caution when using flammable liquids, pay attention to local ordinances for trash burning, only use fireworks in clear areas with no woods nearby, pay attention to the risk of forest fires in your area, and much more.

The Mendocino Complex Fire burned more than 459,000 acres, becoming the largest complex fire in the state’s history, with the complex’s Ranch Fire surpassing the Thomas Fire and the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889 to become California’s single-largest recorded wildfire (2018). During the first week in September, the 2020 fire season set a new California record for the most area burned in a year 2,000,000 acres. As of September 13, 3,200,000 acres had burned in the state (2020). Since the start of 2020, wildfires in California have burned over 3.2 million acres of land -- an area almost the size of Connecticut. CalFire said Monday that nearly 16,500 firefighters have been battling 28 major wildfires in the state, which have left 24 people dead and over 4,200 structures destroyed.

https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2018/#:~:text=The%20Mendocino%20Complex%20Fire%20burned,California's%20single%2Dlargest%20recorded%20wildfire.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/us/california-wildfires-monday/index.html#:~:text=(CNN)%20Since%20the%20start%20of,and%20over%204%2C200%20structures%20destroyed.