Tragic Wildfires Will Continue Until We Rethink Our Communities

Tragic Wildfires Will Continue Until We Rethink Our Communities Firefighters battle the Camp Fire as it tears through Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018. AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

In the early morning hours of Nov. 8, 2018, thousands of Californians fled their homes as flames from the Camp Fire advanced on the town of Paradise.

Their attempts to flee were captured in dramatic stories, harrowing narratives and shocking videos. A month after the fire began, the death toll sits at 85 with three people still missing. Almost 19,000 buildings were lost.

The Camp and Woolsey fires have spurred much commentary from researchers who study forestry and wildfire. Thanks to presidential provocation, there has been significant discussion of what role forest management can and can’t play in preventing wildfires, as well as the many different strategies and their respective benefits. Climate researchers have also been quick to point out the role that climate change can play in when fires start and how they grow.

Importantly, some attention has also been given to the critical role that development plays in our vulnerability to wildfire. This point is crucial: wildfires are a natural phenomenon and many ecosystems depend on their regular occurrence.

Tragic Wildfires Will Continue Until We Rethink Our Communities The Camp Fire destroyed homes in the Ridgewood Mobile Home Park retirement community in Paradise, Calif. AP Photo/Noah Berger

It isn’t until humans put themselves in these environments that these fires gain the potential to become disasters. When we build and live and work and play in flammable places, we create the risk of wildfire tragedies.

We need to stop thinking about wildfire as something that happens “out there in the wilderness,” with occasional incursions into our developments, and instead see just how tightly interwoven we are with the fire.

Fuel for the fire

There are two profoundly uncomfortable realities that we need to face head-on.

First, there has been lots more talk about the “wildland-urban interface” as a key component of today’s wildfires (in other words, that communities share boundaries with flammable landscapes). But the Camp Fire warns us that this metaphor might be problematically limited. Tragic wildfires aren’t an “interface” or boundary problem, but rather a mix of the urban and wildland: fires are just as eager to feed on homes as they are to feed on trees.

As a result, we must take steps to create defensible spaces around our homes. This can include simple actions like keeping eavestroughs clear of debris and flammable plants away from homes.

While these steps can help protect properties from the flames, this is connected to a second challenge: what if we don’t have enough notice to evacuate because the fire started right next door?

Understanding these two challenges requires knowing a bit more about wildfire and our quest to fight it.

Fighting for life

Wildfires are commonplace in California — and across most of North America — but dramatic losses of life have been rare in Canada and the United States in the past several decades. The 2016 wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta., for instance, resulted in a similarly hurried evacuation of more than 80,000 from the city and surrounding area. The outcome was better than feared: only two lives were lost in an automotive accident a day later.

But look a little further into North American history, when tragic fires occurred with a frightening regularity. A century ago in Matheson, Ont., a wildfire consumed villages in minutes and levelled forests. The official death toll read 244, but local estimates suggested 500 were killed. In the nearby community of Nushka, Ont., population 300, only eight people remained after the fire. During the early 19th and 20th centuries, fires in Wisconsin, Maine, Minnesota and Michigan killed between 168 and 1,500 people apiece.

Tragic Wildfires Will Continue Until We Rethink Our Communities The Great Fire of 1922 burned through part of the Timiskaming District, Ont. It has been called one of the 10 worst natural disasters in Canadian history. The fire burned Haileybury to the ground within six hours, killing 11 people. Haileybury Heritage Museum

Much has changed since these fires of a century ago. Firefighting power has grown dramatically, with agencies like CalFire leading the charge. At its peak, more than 5,600 personnel were involved in the fight against the Camp Fire, with air tankers the size of a Boeing 747 joining the support efforts by dropping chemical retardants from above.

Fire managers also have a much more robust and scientific understanding of how to predict fire behaviour. Using a combination of computer models and data from historical experiments, they’re better able to anticipate how a fire and its smoke might spread in the days ahead.

Living with fire

It’s no accident that the story of wildfire is often told through the narrative of fights and battles.

Since those deadly fires of the 1900s, we’ve tried to fight our way out of the wildfire problem with increasingly large armies of firefighters, engines and aircraft. While federal, provincial and state agencies have worked hard in the past few decades to increase the role of prescribed and natural fire to reduce the potential for later catastrophic blazes, the idea of a fight has remained.

But we’re not addressing some uncomfortable realities. For one, we’ve long seen wildfire as a wildland problem: flames that consume trees and surge occasionally into communities. But a fire in search of fuel makes no distinction between trees and homes, sheds, vehicles or propane tanks. As more people build and live in these flammable landscapes, wildfires look more and more like massive urban conflagrations, which can overwhelm urban firefighting response.

There’s strong evidence, for instance, that few homes are ignited by the massive flames of the wildfire itself. Instead, they’re lit by embers that proceed and follow the fire front. These embers can take hold in wood piles, decks, shingles, air vents and eavestroughs, transforming a tiny spark into a full-blown house fire.

Coexistence with wildfire

This means that simple steps like those advocated by FireSmart in Canada and FireWise in the U.S. can help homes survive. In the best-case scenario, individuals and communities have emergency plans and preparations ready.

Yet, virtually all of these plans in Canada and the U.S. are predicated on having the time to get people out of harm’s way. If the fire is sparked nearby, driven by powerful winds or occurs at a time we don’t expect it, those plans may not work. As the Fort McMurray and Paradise fires have shown, we can’t assume there will be time to evacuate.

Tragic Wildfires Will Continue Until We Rethink Our Communities Cars and trucks try and get past a wildfire south of Fort McMurray on May 6, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

We face significant challenges with climate change, forest management and patterns of growth in forested landscapes. But, these two realities — that our developments are adding fuel to the fire, and that we cannot assume a convenient window for evacuation — tell us that we need re-imagine how we will coexist with wildfire.

Could we design communities that allowed fire to safely wash over them, without requiring firefighters to be placed in harm’s way? Can we create alternatives to harried evacuations, knowing that we’ll never be able to perfectly predict where fires will start? And, can we get community buy-in to accept prescribed fire and maintain wildfire preparedness, rather than pushing for ever-larger armies to fight them?

Wildfire has always and will always be a part of our landscapes, and if we choose to live in these flammable incendiaries, we need to do so in a way that will reduce the potential for tragedy.The Conversation

About The Author

Eric B. Kennedy, Assistant Professor, Disaster and Emergency Management, York University, Canada

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Related Books

Climate Adaptation Finance and Investment in California

by Jesse M. Keenan
0367026074This book serves as a guide for local governments and private enterprises as they navigate the unchartered waters of investing in climate change adaptation and resilience. This book serves not only as a resource guide for identifying potential funding sources but also as a roadmap for asset management and public finance processes. It highlights practical synergies between funding mechanisms, as well as the conflicts that may arise between varying interests and strategies. While the main focus of this work is on the State of California, this book offers broader insights for how states, local governments and private enterprises can take those critical first steps in investing in society’s collective adaptation to climate change. Available On Amazon

Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Areas: Linkages between Science, Policy and Practice

by Nadja Kabisch, Horst Korn, Jutta Stadler, Aletta Bonn
3030104176
This open access book brings together research findings and experiences from science, policy and practice to highlight and debate the importance of nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation in urban areas. Emphasis is given to the potential of nature-based approaches to create multiple-benefits for society.

The expert contributions present recommendations for creating synergies between ongoing policy processes, scientific programmes and practical implementation of climate change and nature conservation measures in global urban areas. Available On Amazon

A Critical Approach to Climate Change Adaptation: Discourses, Policies and Practices

by Silja Klepp, Libertad Chavez-Rodriguez
9781138056299This edited volume brings together critical research on climate change adaptation discourses, policies, and practices from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Drawing on examples from countries including Colombia, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Russia, Tanzania, Indonesia, and the Pacific Islands, the chapters describe how adaptation measures are interpreted, transformed, and implemented at grassroots level and how these measures are changing or interfering with power relations, legal pluralismm and local (ecological) knowledge. As a whole, the book challenges established perspectives of climate change adaptation by taking into account issues of cultural diversity, environmental justicem and human rights, as well as feminist or intersectional approaches. This innovative approach allows for analyses of the new configurations of knowledge and power that are evolving in the name of climate change adaptation. Available On Amazon

From The Publisher:
Purchases on Amazon go to defray the cost of bringing you InnerSelf.comelf.com, MightyNatural.com, and ClimateImpactNews.com at no cost and without advertisers that track your browsing habits. Even if you click on a link but don't buy these selected products, anything else you buy in that same visit on Amazon pays us a small commission. There is no additional cost to you, so please contribute to the effort. You can also use this link to use to Amazon at any time so you can help support our efforts.

 

enafarzh-CNzh-TWdanltlfifrdeiwhihuiditjakomsnofaplptruesswsvthtrukurvi

follow InnerSelf on

facebook icontwitter iconyoutube iconinstagram iconpintrest iconrss icon

 Get The Latest By Email

Weekly Magazine Daily Inspiration

LATEST VIDEOS

can we cool the planet 7 22
Can We Cool The Planet?
by Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com
Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Over the past century, human activities…
i5w7rk3a
The Devastating Impact of 3C Global Warming
by Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com
Global warming is a pressing issue that poses severe threats to our planet and all its inhabitants. In recent years,…
The Great Climate Migration Has Begun
The Great Climate Migration Has Begun
by Super User
The climate crisis is forcing thousands around the world to flee as their homes become increasingly uninhabitable.
The Last Ice Age Tells Us Why We Need To Care About A 2℃ Change In Temperature
The Last Ice Age Tells Us Why We Need To Care About A 2℃ Change In Temperature
by Alan N Williams, et al
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that without a substantial decrease…
The Caspian Sea Is Set To Fall By 9 Metres Or More This Century
The Caspian Sea Is Set To Fall By 9 Metres Or More This Century
by Frank Wesselingh and Matteo Lattuada
Imagine you are on the coast, looking out to sea. In front of you lies 100 metres of barren sand that looks like a…
Five Climate Disbeliefs: A Crash Course In Climate Misinformation
The Five Climate Disbeliefs: A Crash Course In Climate Misinformation
by John Cook
This video is a crash course in climate misinformation, summarizing the key arguments used to cast doubt on the reality…
The Arctic Hasn't Been This Warm For 3 Million Years and That Means Big Changes For The Planet
The Arctic Hasn't Been This Warm For 3 Million Years and That Means Big Changes For The Planet
by Julie Brigham-Grette and Steve Petsch
Every year, sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean shrinks to a low point in mid-September. This year it measures just 1.44…
What Is A Hurricane Storm Surge and Why Is It So Dangerous?
What Is A Hurricane Storm Surge and Why Is It So Dangerous?
by Anthony C. Didlake Jr
As Hurricane Sally headed for the northern Gulf Coast on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, forecasters warned of a…

LATEST ARTICLES

global boiling is here 7 29
U.N. Warns: The Era of Global Boiling Has Arrived
by Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com
The world faces an unprecedented climate crisis as temperatures soar and heat records are shattered across the globe.
amoc map 7 26
The Unseen Tipping Point: Understanding the Potential Impact of an AMOC Shutdown
by Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com
The Unseen Tipping Point: Understanding the Potential Impact of an AMOC Shutdown Have you ever heard of the Atlantic…
can we cool the planet 7 22
Can We Cool The Planet?
by Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com
Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Over the past century, human activities…
global hungry 7 22
The Rising Tide of Global Hunger: Pandemic, Climate & Conflict Fuel Food Insecurity
by Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com
In recent years, the world has witnessed a distressing surge in global hunger, painting a bleak picture of food…
keeping cool 7 20
Beat the Heat: Your Guide to Staying Safe in Extreme Temperatures
by Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com
As the temperatures rise during the summer months, it's important to be aware of the risks associated with extreme heat.
i5w7rk3a
The Devastating Impact of 3C Global Warming
by Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com
Global warming is a pressing issue that poses severe threats to our planet and all its inhabitants. In recent years,…
how hot is too hot 7 19
How Hot is Too Hot? The Risks of Extreme Heat on the Human Body
by W. Larry Kenney, Penn State et al
The answer goes beyond the temperature you see on the thermometer. It’s also about humidity. Our research is designed…
european heatwave 7 18
European Heatwave: What’s Causing It And Is Climate Change To Blame?
by Emma Hill and Ben Vivian, Coventry University
Europe is currently in the midst of a heatwave. Italy, in particular, is expected to face blistering heat, with…

How people grow food and the way we use the land is an important, though often overlooked, contributor to climate change. While most people recognise the role of burning fossil fuels in heating the...

The UK is woefully unprepared for the dangers of climate change according to a report from the Climate Change Committee – an independent adviser to the UK government. Despite leading one of the...

The UK’s new plan to control immigration has alarmed human rights groups. A Latin American example could offer hope instead.

In the past, this was mostly due to hereditary systems which assigned power to kings and lords and others, who often didn’t have the intellectual or moral capacity to use their power well.

The world has witnessed a shocking series of disastrous events in the past several weeks. Devastating hurricanes and Mexico’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake are just some of the latest catastrophes to...

New reconstructions of Earth’s temperature over the past 2,000 years, published today in Nature Geoscience, highlight the astonishing rate of the recent widespread warming of our planet.


 Get The Latest By Email

Weekly Magazine Daily Inspiration

New Attitudes - New Possibilities

InnerSelf.comClimateImpactNews.com | InnerPower.net
MightyNatural.com | WholisticPolitics.com | InnerSelf Market
Copyright ©1985 - 2021 InnerSelf Publications. All Rights Reserved.