Massive wildfires in Southern California have devastated the area, with the death toll having risen to at least 28. Despite efforts to hold back the flames, the LA fires are likely to be the costliest in US history due to the total damage and economic losses.
The fires began Jan. 7 and mostly affected Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Almost all of the wildfires caused moderate to severe damage, but the Palisades fire was the most catastrophic; over 40 surrounding zones were issued evacuation orders and curfews, not including evacuation warnings.
The Palisades fire in LA burned through 23,448 acres, but the containment level is now up to 94%, said the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
These wildfires differ from previous ones because LA is already notorious for its poor air quality; combined with the large amount of smoke, these fires pose a more significant threat to human health than typical fires.
So far, there have been a total of seven wildfires in the area. This includes the Palisades, Hughes, Eaton, Hurst, Lidia, Kenneth, Sunset, and Auto fires. The Sunset fire was responsible for scorching West Hollywood, and was close to damaging local landmarks like the Hollywood sign, the LA Zoo, and the Griffith Park Observatory. In northern LA, the Eaton fire destroyed important sites of Black Angeleno heritage, including cultural music and art studios among the damage in the community.
Experts predicted detrimental environmental effects from the smoke and burned infrastructure. Because the fires are burning manmade structures, the toxins and pollutants from manufactured plastics and materials could lead to long-term pollution. Pollutants may also enter groundwater, making water sources toxic and devastating air quality. Furthermore, the ecosystem could end up unbalanced due to the destruction of native plant species, allowing invasive species to take over. All of these impacts contribute to climate change, making future wildfires even more likely.
“Wildfires, a longstanding and frequent threat to California, are expected to increase in intensity and frequency due to climate change,” said the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
There are ongoing efforts to contain the western fires, but dangerous winds have worsened the firestorms. In this case, containment doesn’t necessarily refer to extinguishing all flames; rather, the best move is to establish a resistant perimeter to prevent the fire from progressing further. These perimeter control lines consist of natural or manmade barriers that work to interrupt the fire’s fuel. However, there is plentiful fuel buildup due to California’s history of suppressing natural fire, which makes establishing containment difficult.
“An abundance of vegetation due to a century of wildfire suppression, population growth, and home construction in wildfire-prone areas, called the wildland-urban interface, has further exacerbated the problem,” said the Western Fire Chiefs Association.
Many students at RHS either moved here from California or have family and friends that live there. Because of the destruction and hazardous effects the fires have caused, students worry for those in the area.
“My brother lives in Culver City, which is about fifteen minutes from LA,” said Diego De La Cruz, 10, a student who moved to RHS from Southern California and visited the area over winter break. “Since he is a paramedic, he is risking his lungs from the smoke to help rescue people affected by the fires.”
