California Fires Run Wild

Gunner Lee • November 4, 2024

Due to the area’s Mediterranean climate and human influence, wildfires have erupted across California, devastating both the natural environment and key infrastructure. Three major wildfires have ravaged Southern California since early September: the Bridge Fire, the Line Fire and the Airport Fire (Cal Fire). As a result of these fires, over one hundred thousand acres have been burned and thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes, which have since been reduced to ash. Firefighters in San Bernardino, Orange and Riverside counties have been working day and night to keep the fires at bay (Los Angeles Times).

The Line Fire was started on Sept. 5 due to alleged arson by 34-year-old Norco resident Justin Wayne Halstenberg, who was arrested on Sept. 9 and has since pleaded not guilty. There is surveillance and DNA evidence against him (KTLA). The Bridge Fire erupted three days later in San Bernardino and now threatens part of Los Angeles County. Its cause remains under investigation. The last major fire, the Airport Fire, started on Sept. 9 due to an accident involving heavy equipment used by public works officials. It ravaged east Orange County before spreading into Riverside (NBC News). Cal Fire reported that the Airport Fire was the most destructive of the three, destroying more structures and injuring more people than the Line and Bridge Fires combined. Moreover, erratic weather patterns have further complicated the firefighters’ efforts, rapidly spreading the fires and stretching firefighting lines (CBS News). Sophomore Jaden Song expresses sympathy for all affected people.

“The current wildfire situation in [Southern California] is absolutely tragic,” Song said. “I could not imagine having my home and community go up in flames. My thoughts go out to all [evacuees] and firefighters. What frustrates me the most is the possibility that [the Line Fire] was caused by intentional arson. [Halstenburg] should be thoroughly investigated to [uncover] the truth.”

The Line, Bridge and Airport fires have burned through a combined 122,000 acres of land, injured 36 people and destroyed 297 structures as of Oct. 15 (ABC News). In addition to evacuation orders, the public was also barred from accessing affected road infrastructure and national forests. On Sept. 11, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to dedicate more resources to the 8,000 firefighting personnel in the fight to contain the wildfires, deploying the state national guard and military aircrafts; containment, in this context, refers to a perimeter around the fires to keep them from spreading (ABC News). It took three weeks to raise the containment percentages of all three fires above 80%. Several evacuation orders have been lifted as the containment percentages were deemed adequate. Cooling temperatures were credited as a major factor in firefighter victory (Los Angeles Times). Freshman Sehyun Kim stresses the importance of being well-informed of wildfires.

"[People] should always trust and listen to the authorities, especially during times of crisis, following updates on fire information and obeying evacuation orders,” Kim said. “However, even if [evacuation orders] are lifted, [people] should still [be cautious to] return immediately because wildfires are unpredictable."

The key to the firefighters’ victories and losses lies in weather patterns: the heat wave in early September facilitated the fires’ rapid expansion, overwhelming fire-fighting forces. When temperatures began cooling during the week of Sept. 15, they were able to significantly increase containment (NBC News). Despite their reputation in California, wildfires are traditionally a natural occurrence and healthy for the affected environment. Californian drought and dry vegetation, exacerbated by the Santa Ana Winds and days of intense heat, sparked the wildfires in early September (NBC News). However, now 80% of wildfires are of human origin. Arson, malfunctioning electricity lines and accidents are the main culprits; in one infamous incident, a major fire in Southern California in late 2020 was even started by a gender reveal party (AP News). Increasing temperatures due to human climate change have further compounded the frequency, spread and severity of wildfires over the years (ABC News). These fires have significantly degraded the air quality across California. Huge clouds of smoke traveling for miles have led to officials issuing smoke advisories (CBS News). On the morning of Sept. 9, the smoke reached Peninsula, causing many students discomfort during their daily commute. Sophomore Benjamin Apelgren explains that the situation may have been much worse.

"Two years ago when I lived in Connecticut there was a major fire in Canada," Apelgren said. "The sky was tinted yellow and the air quality [was so harmful that] we had to wear masks. A similar situation could have very well occurred at Peninsula if the smoke persisted. I strongly empathize with those living in areas [closer to the wildfires] and believe that we should work to reduce wildfires; it is crucial to realize that [today] most fires are caused by humans, meaning that we are inflicting suffering upon ourselves."