L.A. blaze highlights effect of land use on severity of wildfires
By Kielce Gussie
More than 10,000 buildings are estimated to have been destroyed or damaged in the four fires - Palisades, Eaton, Auto, Hurst - currently engulfing areas of the Los Angeles County. 25 people are confirmed dead, more than a dozen unaccounted for, and tens of thousands have had to evacuate.
Deadliest and most destructive wildfires
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has declared the Eaton fire as the deadliest and most destructive in southern California’s history. The Palisades blaze is ranked second.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization Senior Forestry Officer and Team Leader on Forests and Climate, Amy Duchelle, told Vatican News how “strong winds, called the Santa Ana winds, were the key fire weather influence,” which led to “the fires that exceeded the limits of the firefighting capacity.”
Day 10: Containing the fires
Since the fires broke out on New Year’s Day, firefighters have continued to work to contain all the fires. The two larger fires – Palisade and Eaton – are 21% and 45% contained, respectively. Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have been searching for the last three days to discover the source of the Palisades blaze.
Fires: more intense and frequent, but not new
“Landscape fires have grown really rapidly in intensity, scale, and duration,” Duchelle argued, “and this is largely due to climate change and land use changes.” With changes in climate come more frequent heat waves and droughts, which leads to drier lands and forestry.
But Duchelle also stressed that while climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of wildfires, they are natural and “a traditional management tool and part of many ecosystems.”
She explained there is “a changing scenario that's making fire, much more intense.” Yet, climate change is not the only factor of wildfires. The way land is used and managed is also important. For example, urban infrastructures are edging more and more in nature and various ecosystems.
Recovery and the future
People from all over the world have pledged to do what they can to help the victims, first responders, and those displaced from their homes. Japan donated $2 million to South California to aid in recovery efforts. U.S. tennis player, Taylor Fritz, announced he is to donate the money he earned from his first-round win at the Australian Open to the Los Angeles wildfire relief funds.
A key lesson from the ongoing devastating situation in Los Angeles, Duchelle suggested, is that there are “limits to suppression of fires when they're that out of control.” She also emphasized that the focus needs to shift from response to “preventative measures that could help us better understand the situation, reduce risk, and be more prepared to tackle these wildfires before they even begin burning.”
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