There are a few conditions that lead to an increased risk of wildfires. One condition is the trend of climate change that seems to be increasing temperatures. The warmer temperatures create drier conditions on the ground.

The Western United States has witnessed the devastating effects climate change can have when combined with strong winds. Professor Anthony Westerling (UC-Merced) has studied the relationship between climate and wildfires. He states the following: “I would say there is no question whatsoever that climate plays a role in the increase in fires. I think it is shown without any room for reasonable doubt that climate is warming and becoming more variable because of human activity. Because precipitation is more variable in Western US and temperatures are increasing, you know that wildfires will be amped up because of climate change.

Westerling points to another condition that contributes to risk: the increased development of wildlife areas. As communities expand into more rural areas, wildfires simply have shorter distances to travel before arriving at doorsteps, making it more urgent to address this growing danger.

Lastly, the mismanagement of the wildfires themselves leads to a greater likelihood of damages and harm. Wildfire mismanagement is more like a pattern rather than a singular error. Experts argue that a pattern of “fire suppression” is not the best approach. Although it sounds counterintuitive, it’s sometimes better to let a wildfire site burn rather than try to put it out, as it has been the dominant strategy for decades. 

Experts contend that these fires are a natural part of the ecosystem lifecycle, and some should burn out on their own. Aside from ecological considerations, one benefit is creating “fire breaks,” where a newer fire might run up against an old burn and essentially have nowhere to continue.

Wildfires are one of the most destructive forces of nature that Californians face. A wildfire is an unplanned fire that can ignite and spread across various natural settings, including grasslands, prairies, or forests. Wildfires risk lives, and wildfire smoke can be detrimental to people’s health. 

This type of fire is hazardous because it can move very quickly over a wide swath of land. Wildfires can damage more than wildlife and nature. Our homes and communities can sustain unthinkable damage, especially in dry conditions or areas where large fires are familiar (i.e., a significant wildfire risk area). 

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) found that since 1983, there has been an average of about 70,000 documented wildfires each year. Research also shows that the extent of the burn area has grown since the 1980s. The ten years with the most acreage burned have all occurred after 2004. 

Statistics also show that the acreage burned in the western US has increased almost every month of the year. Also notable is that the wildfire season is peaking earlier now. Since 2001, the peak of the burned area has occurred in July rather than August, which was the peak in years passed. 

The NIFC found that the area burned by wildfires in this country has increased in scope since the 1980s. The organization also asserted that reliable data on fire reports from federal and state agencies were unavailable before that time. Thereby, the NIFC states on its website, “Prior to 1983, sources of these figures are not known, or cannot be confirmed, and were not derived from the current situation reporting process. As a result, the figures before 1983 should not be compared to later data.” 

Several factors contribute to an increase in wildfire activity, including an unmanaged brush that becomes fuel for the wildfires, hotter temperatures, dryer weather conditions, and wind that drives the fire and keeps it supplied with oxygen. 

Wildfires not only lead to extreme and catastrophic damages, but they also cause millions of Californians to have to suffer from rolling blackouts. In 2020, California’s Independent System Operator, a nonprofit company that manages the power supply in California, required utility companies to impose temporary blackouts throughout the state. That was the first time they ordered the state utility companies to force a blackout in 19 years. 

Despite its seeming inconvenience, experts state that these conservation efforts are necessary to keep the power running. When temperatures are extreme, experts warn the state could run low on power. The power grid cannot keep up with demand, with many state mandates requiring a switch to renewable energy. While renewable energy reduces pollution, it can run short if the state lacks the wind needed to power wind energy plants. 

Twenty-five percent of the state runs on solar energy. However, in higher temperatures, when people create more demand for energy by taxing their air conditioning units, renewable energy sources have trouble keeping up. While the source may be a part of the issue, the lack of proper storage for power produced from renewable sources also adds to the problem. 

Specifically, in Northern California, blackouts are necessary to help prevent wildfires. These preventative measures are in place as experts have partially blamed utility equipment for some of the California wildfires in recent years. These preventative outages have faced harsh criticism, though, as many argue they put more people in danger by preventing local response emergency efforts.