The chaos all started on a hiking trail on Tuesday, January 7th around 10:30 a.m. A fire. A fire that would spread all the way to the Palisades, slowly destroying beach houses in Masnica and Malibu; but this was just the beginning for the state of California. Two fires would later break out around 6:30 and 10:30 p.m. in Altadena and Sylmar (USA Today).
According to NBC News, fires were able to spread throughout the state of California due to the dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds, damaging over 40,000 acres of land and killing 24 people. The quick spread of the flames has caused the state of California to put evacuation orders into place, and many families around the U.S. are worried about their families not being able to evacuate or being safe. NBC News also reports that some facing the prospect of losing their homes are taking extraordinary measures to save their property. Some are staying in their homes, trying to protect them with garden hoses, while others have turned to private firefighting companies. Senior Jordyn Braker gives us insight into what her aunt, a California resident, is doing during this difficult time.
“My aunt is not affected, but she evacuated just to make sure she was safe,” Braker said. “She loves it there, so she wants to stay, but she doesn’t know what her plan is for the future just yet.”
Firefighters from all over Western United States have faced many problems battling these fires. The lack of water and dry conditions have made the fires very difficult to contain. According to Forbes, the last time Los Angelos received a tenth of an inch of rainfall was last May. This shortage of water had caused a shift in gears in ways to maintain the fires. MSN News claims these so-called “Super Scooper” CL-415 aircraft were used to help slow the spread of the Palisades Fire while firefighters on the ground worked to contain the blaze.
“I don’t think they get paid enough,” junior Alayna Smith said. “They are risking their lives to save others, and they are working a lot of overtime trying to save as much as possible.”
Not only were the firefighters there to help during this disaster, but Los Angelos residents came from all over to help those who lost their homes in the fires or were forced to evacuate. These residents worked together to help deliver goods and meals to those in need. Senior Lauren Kilgore expresses her thoughts on what she believes needs to be done for the residents of California.
“I hope the government provides them with money that compensates for the damage done in their lives,” Kilgore said. “I would be really sad to see my home on fire.”
The cause of this fire is still under investigation, leading many to speculate what started it all. The International Fire and Safety Journal narrows it down to how any wildfire might start. The main cause being human negligence. Other sources confirm this as a very plausible answer due to California’s lack of maintenance to clean up woodlands, such as not cleaning out dead trees, that allow the fires to spread rapidly across the state.
“I think the causes of the wildfires are because of dry land, wind, climate changes, human activity, and past fires; leaving behind stuff like dead trees and dry bushes prone to catching fire,” junior Austin Watford said. “Human activity could cause it to start as well, if campfires are left with no watch, cigarette butts left on the ground, or even just straight up arson. The wind will just help the fire stay alive and also help move it, causing more damage.”
In the end, we have all learned the valuable lesson of what happens when everyone comes together to achieve a common goal. Let us not forget these experiences, or the lives lost, but move to improve in preventing disasters like this from happening again.