Recent Fires Along the West Coast
- Lauren
- Sep 19, 2020
- 2 min read
There have been many fires along the Western Coast due to heat, lightning, drought, and dry climate. In Oregon, around 1 million acres have burned, while in Washington around 500,000 acres have burned due to the wildfires. In California, over 3.1
million acres have burned, setting a record for the state. The majority of these were caused by lightning strikes. From August 15th to the present, more than 13,000 lightning strikes have helped ignite the fires. According to Cal Fire, over 16,000 firefighters are fighting 28 major fires, 6 of which are in the top 20 largest wildfires in California history. The magnitude of these fires is truly remarkable; they have caused loss of life, many evacuations, and have destroyed lots of homes and buildings. Not only do these fires affect the lives of the people evacuated, but they also affect the health of millions across the coast. The air quality is awful, leading to many health risks. Moreover, fire season started early this year, making it highly likely that more fires similar to these will occur over the next few months. These fires have caused tremendous property damage and land damage as well as many negative health impacts.
You may be thinking, how does climate change play a role in these fires? Through the rising temperatures and droughts, climate change has played a large role in these fires. According to a study that is linked below, human-caused climate change has led to a rise in temperature and a vapor pressure deficit which, in turn, leads to a warmer and drier climate, causing more wildfires.
What can you do? The best thing you can do is to conserve energy by setting the AC to a higher temperature, unplugging various items when not in use, and turning off lights. To protect yourself from the smoke and unhealthy air quality, stay indoors and avoid outdoor activity.
Commentaires