California wildfires: consuming the United States

Fire can be much more than s’mores and camp stories.

The people of California currently battling many wildfires as a result of intense thunderstorms and climate change. These people as well as many other individuals in the United States affected are at risk.

California’s infernos

Intense thunderstorms and climate change sparked these intense fires, but in what ways are the fires affecting people? Who will help California? Families, homes, and wildlife are few of the many objects affected and recent data reports wildfire season will not come to a halt soon.

People, plants, and wildlife share one trait in common, they’re all currently affected by wildfires. The growing infernos killing and destroying life in the state of California as well as affecting numerous states around the country serve as an example of a devastating natural disasters. “One of the very alarming trends we’re starting to see is that these fires are killing very large patches of conifers: 200, 300, 500, 1,000-acre patches, and some even larger,” Scott Stephens, a forest ecologist and fire expert at the University of California, Berkeley says.

Climate change is not only an issue for the United States, but the world as well. As a result of the outbreak of fires, climate change increased scientists have said. Scott Stephens, a forest ecologist and fire expert at the University of California, Berkeley says, “the increase in fire size has accelerated in the climate-changed present, particularly since the 1990s.” 

Evacuation

Sam Levin says, “A wildfire that broke out near Shaver Lake in the Sierra National Forest prompted evacuation orders Saturday as authorities urged people seeking relief from the heat wave to stay away from the popular lake. That blaze, called the Creek fire, has burned 45,000 acres, trapping at least 150 people near a reservoir in Fresno county and injuring dozens who had to be airlifted to the hospital.”

Evacuation is a crucial factor affecting many individuals and families in the California area. Avoiding evacuation could cause people to become trapped in the midst of the flames. 

During the blaze named Creek fire, there were 150 people trapped and many out of those individuals had to become hospitalized.

Affects outside of California

Smoke and chemicals released into the atmosphere have had effects on people outside of California as well. “Smoke particles scatter blue light and only allow yellow-orange-red light to reach the surface, causing skies to look orange,” the Bay Area Air District said on Twitter.

Although these fires do not appear to clear up soon, it is possible they will get better.

 Tom Bird, incident meteorologist on the Glass fire says, “The temperatures will start dropping closer to seasonal normals, the relative humidity will slowly start climbing up and we’ll start to see lighter winds.” The California wildfires may soon downsize.

With luck, more will be done soon to prevent and get rid of these growing fires and the people of California can return back to their normal lives.