Since Jan. 7, 2025, hundreds of thousands of people have had to evacuate their homes in California due to the raging fires enveloping parts of the state. Though most fires have been contained, the spread of California’s Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire is still ongoing.
In the beginning, California was besieged with problems like running out of water and fighting against high winds blowing up to 100 miles per hour. Why hadn’t the state been allowed to use sea water once the fire hydrants ran dry? Supposedly, it was due to an environmental impact the water would’ve had on California soil if it were used.
Currently, there have been 27 fatalities and over 40,000 acres burned as a result of California’s wildfires. Thousands have had their homes burned to the ground along with any precious memories inside of them. As the fires rage on, there will continue to be more houses destroyed and lives ruined.
Thankfully, though, California isn’t battling the fires alone. Some allied countries like Japan have sent money to help California’s battle against the fires while countries like Mexico and Canada have supported California’s efforts by sending fire crews, aircraft and equipment to the state.
“Help has no borders. We are proud to be part of this group. Mexico and the United States are united by a border and by the economy. It is not only a neighboring country, it is a sister country,” Lieutenant Colonel Benigo Hernández said.
For the reasons behind the danger of the California fires, some causes have been identified as the Santa Ana wind and combustible vegetation. Before the wind began, California experienced a vast amount of rainfall, fostering the growth of new vegetation. Even so, when the weather became dry once again, the newly grown plants turned extremely combustible. Due to the combustible nature of the plants and the high winds of the Santa Ana, the fires spread rapidly and even created fire tornadoes.
Dangerous fire weather in California with results such as these have been attributed to climate change. The increased climate change has “…already led to an increase in wildlife season length, wildfire frequency, and burned area,” the United States Environmental Protection Agency reported.
Moreover, the fires also increase the rate of climate change. A fire that lasts a mere week can undo a year’s worth of carbon-reduction efforts. Millions of cars also produce less pollutants than a single wildfire. Trees also have a devastating impact when they die due to them releasing black carbon when they’re burned. Black carbon is a harmful pollutant that’s thousands of times more potent than greenhouse gases. Even when the fire stops, the pollutants continue being produced.
California’s plight is almost over, though. The Eaton Fire is nearly contained and more than half of the Palisades Fire is also contained. Still, the aftermath of these Californian fires will haunt some residents for years to come, especially those who had lost everything in these fires.
