Human activity fueled the deadly wildfires raging through California’s wine country in at least two ways, according to scientists. There might even turn out to be a third human factor depending on what set off the fire in the first place. A flicked cigarette or an abandoned campfire may have ignited the blaze, but the stage was set by activity spanning decades:
It may take weeks to determine the spark that touched off each of the firestorms that consumed hunks of more than a dozen California communities this week. But the consensus in the scientific community is that the conditions that cleared a path for the tsunami of flame were made by humans. Decades of aggressive firefighting left too much fuel on the ground. And more than a century of carbon emissions exacerbated the state’s drought and the record high temperatures that baked brush and timber to an explosive dryness.
It may be surprising that past efforts to contain wildfires would play a big role in causing newer, larger ones. But this fiery hell was paved with good intentions: a certain number of wildfires happen naturally every year and these would normally clear out flammable material on smaller, less destructive scales. Containing any forest fire as fast as possible certainly saves lives and property, but it also means more old tree limbs, fallen leaves, and dead grass stay on the ground across wider, unaffected regions to catch fire the next time. Regular, effective controlled burns to reduce that clutter costs money, and we all know how certain politicians feel about spending money on anything that helps local communities, especially related to the environment.
Record drought dries that plant material out faster, creating bone-dry tender that will burst into flame at the slightest touch of an errant spark or stroke of wayward lightning. Changing climate also makes regions like those aflame in California hotter overall, thus extending the fire season and pushing conditions closer to the kindling temperature of the dead material carpeting the ground. The result is fires that start easier, spread faster, last longer, and are harder to put out. That’s why climatologists have long predicted one result of climate change will be more deadly wildfires, and more images and videos like those below the fold.
A view from the air of the incredible wasteland left behind by one of the outbreaks:
Riveting video via the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office shows the hellish landscape first responders see when driving through a road in the middle of the fire: