California Fires

Misinformation about Los Angeles County’s devastating fires is spreading as wildly as wind-
driven embers.

Fact is, these catastrophic fires driven and grown by up to 100-mile-per-hour winds are powerful
examples of how extreme weather and climate change due to global warming affect our
communities.

Climate change is whiplashing coastal southern California between flooding rainfall and
extended drought, raising temperatures, and shifting seasons—all together, increasing risks for
more frequent wildfires made bigger by high winds. Wet weather produces abundant wildland
brush and grasses, drought and high temperatures desiccate vegetation, a spark falls, and
winds makes wildfire.

Fact is, wildland brush clearing and firebreaks won’t prevent urban fires when hurricane-force
winds blast showers of embers from wildfires miles away deep into residential neighborhoods.
High winds drive wildfire flames and blow burning embers long distances. Embers raining down
on homes ignite anything flammable. Buildings and furnishings burn faster and hotter than
vegetation. High winds push flames and hot embers like a blowtorch from structure to structure
to create an urban firestorm.
Fact is, California has done more to reduce urban fire risks than any other state—through
zoning and building codes, noncombustible construction materials standards, sprinkler
requirements, combustible vegetation clearance requirements, municipal water supplies and
systems, and fire protection districts.

But urban fire precautions won’t stop advancing wildfires made ferocious by bone dry conditions
and high winds.

Fact is, putting out huge wildfires and urban firestorms requires using aircraft for water and fire
retardant drops.

But firefighting helicopters and planes can’t fly in high winds.
Instead of on high winds and climate change effects, misplaced partisan blame for these
disastrous fires is being put on Democratic officials.
Climate change is nonpartisan, and it threatens all our communities.
But Republican leaders still deny the realities of global warming and climate change, and recent
polls show only 23% of Republicans concerned about US climate change impacts, while just
12% say climate change should be a top priority for the president and Congress.

We need facts, not misinformation, for effective actions regarding climate change. Get the facts.
Drop the politics. Act for our common good.

*The author is a former Los Angeles Resident