California Wildfires

Wildfires create orange skies above an apartment complex in San Carlos, California. Photo provided by Ceverly Strand.

West Coast wildfires cause nationwide plight

Wildfire effects spread from San Francisco to Fishers

Katie Barnett barnekat000@hsestudents.org

Over five million acres of California, Oregon, and Washington have been scorched by massive wildfires since the onset of the unprecedented 2020 fire season. California has borne the brunt of this devastation with nearly four million acres of its land burned. Residents have lived under otherworldly orange skies and thick clouds of smoke for weeks. The effects of the fire spread beyond the West Coast. According to maps by AirNow.gov, an air quality database created by the EPA, the smoke plume from the fires has stretched across the United States, even reaching across the Atlantic Ocean. Air quality has plunged in many regions, including some areas of Indiana.

Nationwide Implications

San Carlos, California resident Ceverly Strand, aunt of junior Zooey Russel, has firsthand United States experience with the fires. “I’m right outside of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and for about a week the air quality was really Smoke Plumes bad,” Strand said. “You couldn’t go outside. It was Key:very, very smoky.” The Santa Cruz Mountains, which lie just south Red= Heavy Smoke; Hazardous of San Carlos, were engulfed in a large fire earlier Orange= Moderate Smoke; Some Risk this year. According to Strand, life was strange during this period. Yellow= Light Smoke; Little Risk “The biggest impact I felt was on the one weird day when there was an orange sky,” Strand said. AirNow.gov “It was definitely like that all day. It was like an Graphic by Katie Barnett apocalypse, and I wondered ‘What is going on in this world?’” Strand, who is a former Indiana resident, said that life in California is much different than it is in Indiana. Senior Morgan Joiner can attest to this. She traveled to California for college visits in late

September and experienced life surrounded by flames. “When we first got there, we were in our hotel room and you just stepped off the balcony and you could smell the smoke,” Joiner said. “I didn’t see the fire, but I saw the effects of it in San Francisco and Los Angeles.” Joiner feels that the experience gave her a new perspective. “You watch all the news stories and hear about the fires, but then to actually be there and smell the smoke is different,” Joiner said. “We don’t have to deal with that stuff in Indiana. It made me realize that this is actually happening.”

Causes of Wildfires

Wildfires are caused by a number of factors. According to the National Parks Service, humans are the largest contributing factor with 85% of cases resulting from human action. This is largely caused by items such as unattended campfires and cigarettes, although at least one fire was ignited by a pyrotechnic device at a California gender reveal party earlier this fire season. Customer Success Manager Julie Ragains of local environmental technology company Encamp is alarmed by the trends of the recent wildfires. “This fire season has broken so many records already, and it isn’t even over,” Ragains said. “Many people’s lives are at risk, and in some cases it is because of the irresponsibility of other people.” However, her biggest concern is the role that climate change has played in the fires. Researchers from the United Kingdom recently published a study that concluded that rising temperatures have had an “unequivocal and pervasive” role in fanning the flames. Ragains shares the same beliefs. “Climate change isn’t necessarily starting the fires, but it is increasing the occurrence of fire weather and the overall intensity of the fires,” Ragains said. “They will only get worse if action isn’t taken soon.” Ragains hopes that people will recognize the legitimacy of the science of climate change so that progress can be made in the near future.

Ways to Help

There are many relief organizations working to stop wildfires and help the victims in the aftermath. The American Red Cross is accepting donations to their wildfire relief efforts. Donations can provide meals, shelter, medical care, and much more. The California Community Foundation is also accepting donations to their Wildfire Relief Fund. Both organizations are accepting contributions on their websites. There are several other relief organizations working to help victims and first responders, as well as to prevent future wildfires. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to complicate recovery efforts, so any additional support is appreciated.

Infographic by Katie Barnett