Beating the Blaze
Wildfires can be caused by a variety of things such as leaving campfires unattended, discarding lit cigarettes, throwing out matches, and leaving the stove on. Certain natural events can also cause wildfires, including lightning strikes.
Photo by Michael Held on Unsplash
Throughout the summer of 2023, wildfires have devastated thousands of North Americans from Canada to Hawaii. Millions of acres of trees have been burnt to the ground by raging fires. Tens of thousands of animals and people have lost their homes to fire and are in need of shelter.
Various US states are experiencing severe droughts and water scarcity. These regions are extremely susceptible to damage by wildfires because the dry conditions allow them to spread rapidly.
You may think you’re safe if you live in a fairly wet region. However, it won’t be long before most of the US is experiencing the effects of severe drought. As global warming progresses and water sources are exhausted, everyone could be at risk of having their lives upended by an unprecedented disaster.
This blog will explore how wildfires start, the effects of the most recent wildfires in Canada and Maui, and how you can prevent wildfires from occurring.
Wildfire Catalysts
How do wildfires start? Many people believe that climate change is to blame for the frequent occurrence of these phenomena. Although climate change is the trigger, it’s humans who pull it.
A drought can be defined as a period of water scarcity and abnormally low rainfall in a particular region. Americans living along the West Coast in states such as California, Arizona, Texas, and Nevada commonly experience these conditions due to high sunlight intensity and rising temperatures.
Dry vegetation is the perfect kindling for wildfires and one of the main reasons they are able to spread rapidly and inflict damage. All it takes is one discarded cigarette butt to set an entire state aflame.
Campsite Accidents
If you’re a camper, this one’s for you. One of the largest causes of wildfires is leaving campfires unattended.
Whether you’re starting a fire to keep warm or to roast marshmallows for s’mores, if you forget to put it out before leaving the campsite, it can cause devastation and disaster for nearby wildlife.
When constructing your next campfire, it’s important to choose a location far away from any vegetation or flammable objects. If the wind blows the wrong way, scalding embers and ash can be carried far into the forest and ignite an inferno. Be sure to keep your campfires small and manageable to prevent them from getting out of hand.
While you might have only wanted a couple of flames to roast meat over the fire, you could end up with an entire forest of flames.
Photo by Alex Kotomanov on Unsplash
Human Negligence
Many people are unaware of the ecological and financial consequences their actions can have. Tossing a cigarette butt out the car window, throwing a match in the trash can, and leaving the stove on are some of the most common mistakes people make that have disastrous consequences.
When people throw their cigarettes out the car window or on the ground after smoking them, they are often still hot. If you discard your cigarette in the wrong spot or throw it on the wrong side of the road, it can ignite nearby vegetation and progress rapidly into a forest fire. Wait to discard your cigarettes in an ashtray instead of throwing them into the woods or on the side of the road. It’s much better for the environment and our trees!
Throwing a match in the trash after using it can easily ignite the contents of the trash if it isn’t extinguished properly. Many people prefer to use matches to light candles or start fires in the winter, but it is important to know how to dispose of them properly. Run the match under cold water until the fire is extinguished and the tip is no longer hot before throwing it in the trash.
Leaving the stove on can cause flammable materials that are nearby to ignite. This can be especially dangerous if you aren’t home when this occurs. If this fire spreads to the walls of your home, it could burn down your house and start a forest fire if you live in a very woodsy area.
Photo by Julia Engel on Unsplash
A Hawaiian Disaster
On August 8th, 2023, a raging wildfire broke out on the island of Maui, destroying 2,170 acres of forest on the island. This fire had not only environmental effects, but cultural and social effects as well.
How did the fire start?
Hawaiian Electric admitted that one of their faulty power lines started the blaze. During a particularly dry and windy time, they failed to shut down the power lines that caused the fire.
Power lines are another common cause of wildfires. If trees are cut down and fall into a power line, the electricity running through the line has the potential to ignite the trees. That fire then spreads to surrounding trees and brush until an entire forest is engulfed in flames, as was the case in Hawaii.
However, the power line was not to blame for the entire wildfire. Although it started the original blaze, the fire would not have spread to the extent of the forest that it did without the false claims of Hawaiian firefighters.
Firefighters claimed that the blaze was contained and left the region, assuming the fire would dwindle and extinguish itself naturally. They couldn’t have been more wrong. In the following days, a second wildfire appeared and engulfed the city of Lahaina.
Strong winds from Hurricane Dora helped the new wildfire spread more rapidly than anyone could’ve anticipated, upending the lives of the people of Maui.
Photo by Nikola Johnny Mirkovic on Unsplash
Cultural & Social Effects
In addition to clearing thousands of acres of trees, the Hawaiian fires have impacted the lives of Hawaiians living on the island of Maui.
The death count is currently around 115 people. An additional 400 people are missing, leaving their families desperately searching casualty lists for their names.
The Maui fires have had their greatest impact in the city of Lahaina. Over 2,200 structures were destroyed by the fires, 86% of which were residential buildings. Thousands of locals have been displaced and lost their homes. These people are flocking to Hawaii’s homeless shelters in need of food, water, and shelter after the fire claimed their homes. However, Hawaii’s shelters can only help so many people.
Moreover, major cultural buildings and landmarks native to Lahaina were destroyed in the fires, diminishing the rich culture that has existed in the region for centuries. The Waiola Church was destroyed, one of the first Christian churches ever established in the region. The cemetery behind the church was also the burial ground for important Hawaiian historical figures. On top of this, Lahaina’s heritage museum and hundreds of artifacts within it were incinerated in the blaze.
Photo by Trnava University on Unsplash
A Canadian Catastrophe
The Canadian wildfires began in March 2023 and are still burning strong. These wildfires have affected not only Canadians, but Americans living in the Northern states and East Coast of the United States as well.
How did these fires start?
The Canadian wildfires first erupted in British Columbia and Alberta. These fires eventually spread to Quebec and other Eastern Canadian cities and towns.
Canada is a region with an abundance of forest and trees, perfect kindling for a fire. In the past, 86% of Canadian wildfires have begun because of lightning strikes. When lightning touches down in a forest or a dry, grassy field, the vegetation easily ignites and spreads to nearby areas.
This year, Canada has had a particularly rough run with high temperatures and intense winds. High temperatures, winds, lightning, and vegetation are the perfect ingredients for a wildfire.
Photo by Michał Mancewicz on Unsplash
Air Pollution
If you live in the Northern or Eastern US, you probably received air quality alerts throughout most of June. This was not your everyday air pollution.
The Canadian wildfires produced such a large quantity of smoke that it covered all of the East Coast up to Georgia. The Midwestern and Northeastern states were hit the hardest by this pollution. Cities in these states were determined to have the worst air quality in the world multiple times throughout the month of June.
People were advised to stay indoors as much as possible and wear masks if they had to go outside. People with respiratory issues were at high risk from the smoke and many ended up in the hospital. Even those without these issues reported that they experienced shortness of breath, coughing, and trouble breathing.
In regions with particularly dense quantities of smoke, the skies turned yellow, orange, and red. The air smelled and looked like smoke. Air quality indexes exceeded 200, while air is only safe to breathe if the index is between 0 and 50. The smoke from Canadian wildfires had significant health impacts on both humans and wildlife.
Photo by Kristen Morith on Unsplash
Recap
Wildfires can be caused by a variety of things such as leaving campfires unattended, discarding lit cigarettes, throwing out matches, and leaving the stove on. Certain natural events can also cause wildfires, including lightning strikes.
The Maui wildfires were started by a faulty power line and spread to engulf most of the island of Maui. Thousands of people were displaced, hundreds were killed, and the city of Lahaina was decimated. The Canadian wildfires were caused by a lightning strike. The smoke from these fires spread across the US and endangered people’s respiratory health.