Multiple rapidly spreading and destructive wildfires are burning through Los Angeles County, California. The fires are attributable to unusually dry conditions and seasonal hurricane-force winds. Gusts reached speeds of over 145 kilometers (90 miles) per hour. They quickly spread the flames to urban areas. It has forced greater than 100,000 people to evacuate their homes, and no less than five people have died since January 9.
The largest of the flames is generally known as the Palisades Fire. It erupted on the morning of January 7 in west Los Angeles. It has since burned down roughly 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) of land. It also destroyed about 1,000 structures. The second largest is called the Eaton Fire. It caught fire that night near Pasadena and burned greater than 4,290 hectares the following morning. Three more smaller fires – Sunset, Hurst and Lydia – are also burning elsewhere in the world.
“This has the potential to be, at least cumulatively, the costliest wildfire disaster in American history,” Daniel Swain said through the live broadcast on January 8. Swain is a climate scientist on the University of California, Los Angeles. “Even the Palisades Fire itself could become like that.”
Here’s a fast have a look at what’s causing these extreme fires.
Why do these fires occur in winter?
Southern California wildfire season is generally considered to run from May to October. However, recent studies have shown that the trends of accelerating temperature and decreasing precipitation are the identical extending the duration of the fireplace season. This is an extension of the season continuation is expected in the longer term. In some parts of the state, wildfire season is already considered a year-round event.
What causes fires to achieve such extreme intensity?
One of the important reasons fires within the Los Angeles area are burning uncontrolled are Santa Ana winds. These winds normally occur in autumn and winter. Dry winds blow from inland, from desert areas towards the California coast. Along the way in which, the wind blows over the mountain ranges. As the wind travels down the mountains, it becomes compressed. This happens as a result of increased atmospheric pressure. The air also heats up. This, in turn, lowers the relative humidity of the already dry desert air. It also makes the air higher dry out vegetation that could cause fires.
Moreover, winds in Santa Ana can reach speeds of as much as 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour). This makes them excellent at fanning flames and spreading embers. In the times leading as much as the fires, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned that a “life-threatening, destructive windstorm” would create an unlimited fire risk.
Another major reason for extreme wildfires is the abundance of dried grass and vegetation. The vegetation on this area is extremely dry as a result of recent weather conditions. “In a very dry year in Southern California, much less grass grows compared to a wet year,” Swain said. “Last year was a very wet year in Southern California. [That led] to what we call over-fueling, a lot of extra fuel for potential fires,” he noted. “Now, as of September, Southern California has had the driest start to winter on record, full stop, and also one of the hottest starts to winter on record.”
This combination of Santa Ana winds and high fuel loads set the stage for the devastating wildfires occurring today.
How much of the blame is human-induced climate change?
It will take slightly longer for researchers to find out exactly how much the burning of fossil fuels influenced these particular fires. However, it can’t be denied that human-caused climate change has worsened weather conditions conducive to more intense wildfires in California.
“It’s not just that drier conditions are becoming more common in a warming climate,” Swain said. Wetter years are prone to be even wetter. “At the same time, we are dealing with much hotter summers and drier autumns,” he said. There is also an “increasing likelihood of dry winters”.
In California, worsening weather is making conditions more favorable for wildfires. In wetter years, more vegetation grows. And within the dry years that follow, they prepare these fuels for burning.
Much of the world currently burning in Southern California is dominated by grass and brush. These landscapes are particularly sensitive to weather influences. This is because vast swathes of grass that fuel fires can grow or disappear in a single 12 months, depending on the weather.
What are the health concerns as wildfire smoke blankets the region?
Smoke from the Los Angeles wildfires could impact the health of tens of millions of individuals within the region. Fine particles of wildfire smoke can affect the health of even those that live removed from the fires. These aerosols can damage the lungs, increase the chance of heart attack and even shorten life expectancy. Smoke may pose a specific risk to children and adolescents. A recent study estimated that smoke from wildfires in California between 2008 and 2018 caused as many as 55,700 premature deaths.
Smoke from the Palisades fire “has caused unhealthy air quality in Los Angeles County.” That’s in keeping with the Los Angeles Department of Public Health. The worst immediate impacts are expected to hit the northwest coastal portions of the county.
However, it is difficult to predict where the smoke will travel and the way the wind will affect air quality. “It is therefore important for everyone to be aware of the air quality in their area and plan and take actions to protect their health and that of their family,” said Muntu Davis, health officer for Los Angeles County. your health recommendations. “Smoke and ash can harm anyone, even healthy people. However, people at higher risk include children, the elderly, pregnant people and people with heart or lung disease or weakened immune systems.”
