Deadline Mini: Wildfires

WILDFIRES A COLLECTION OF ARTICLES

written by: Uriarte, Sarah Rios, Taleya d Jeremy n a , ki u v a it u T ra e iv Jeanelle R Manwaring

the Spark into Inferno What are the causes of wildfires in California, and how do people try to protect themselves and their property from them?

What are the causes of wildfires in California, and how do people try to protect themselves and their property from them?

So, what exactly causes California Wildfires?

According to an article realized by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, after “extensive and thorough investigations” a majority of fires in the October 2017 Fire Siege were caused by “electric power and distribution lines, conductors and the failure of power poles”. A reminder that the Fire Siege involved 170 fires that burned around 245,00. That fact that a majority of these fires were caused by something that is man made says a lot about us as humans interfere in the natural world. An example of some of these fires include the Redwood Fire which was located in Mendocino County burned a total of 36,523 and burned a total of 543 structures. It was determined that the fire began in two different locations and was caused by “trees or parts of trees falling onto PG&E power lines”. Another fire located in Lake County, called the Sulphur Fire, destroyed 2,207 acres and destroyed a total of 162 structures. This fire was caused by a “failure of a PG&E owned power pole, resulting in the power lines and equipment coming in contact with the ground”. The 37 Fire in Sonoma County which burned 1,660 acres and destroyed 3 structures was also associated with “PG&E distribution lines in the area.” Not only were those three fires caused by PG&E electrical equipment but also the Cherokee Fire, the Blue Fire, Norrbom Fire, Adobe Fire, Patrick Fire, Pythian Fire, Nuns Fire, Pocket Fire, and Atlas Fire.

California’s Fight Against the Fires According to research done by Governor Newsom of California and National Weather Service researchers the wildfires sparking in California are worsening, and “ the heat storm will worsen with the National Weather Service predicting more record-breaking heat, and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) predicting electric energy demand nearing state records.” Nearly every summer Californians experience heats reaching record breaking numbers, and see wildfires spreading and consuming our lands. Because of the growing concern of wildfires the state of California is constantly trying to find ways to prevent the wildfires from starting at all, instead of preparing for what will happen after the fire has already begun to burn. Some of the ways the state has begun to prevent wildfires is by the following: • Working with large consumers of power to save and conserve energy during peak hours to conserve energy • Making appeals in order to conserve energy and cool down houses before the peak hours and before 3pm • Asking the Navy and Army to use private electrical grids sourced on their own instead of pulling from outside electrical sources Some of the ways the state of California is asking YOU to help prevent wildfires is by conservation of energy and following some of the precautions the state has released. Some of the precautions include the following: • Refrain from major appliance use during the peak hours of 3pm to 10pm to prevent overheating and overuse • During the day when no one is home remember to set the thermostat to anything adobe 78 degrees fahrenheit in order to save up to 20% in cooling costs • During hotter times keep doors, windows, and any house openings closed to prevent losing cool air • Make sure to turn off unnecessary electrical use to prevent overheating • Most importantly keep flammable objects away from electrical sources and keep any flames supervised

How exactly can I protect myself from fires?

In order to become protected from wildfires, you have to follow strict rules and regulations that apply to an individual, for example; you must always be prepared for wildfires, you must always be ready to evacuate, and you must always look out for signs of any fire near your location. If this fails and you are directly in the risk of wildfires, you must comply with laws that lower the chances of yourself getting into a situation in which wildfires will affect you. Always be on the lookout for wildfires, and always look out after your health first, as the CDC states “Follow the advice of your doctor or other healthcare provider about medicines and about your respiratory management plan if you have asthma or another lung disease. Consider evacuating if you are having trouble breathing. Call your doctor for advice if your symptoms worsen.” which show that any underlying health conditions must be treated, and that precautions such as respirators, extinguishers, and emergency kits must be available and in hand in case a wildfire does spark. The best way to avoid a wildfire completely is by complying with regulations, preventing fires from your home, avoiding high risk situations in which fires can start (camping in dry areas), and regulation of the environment that you are in (clearing of dead debree).

With these ideas and knowledge, please keep yourself safe from wildfires, and always be on the lookout!

The Most Common Mask used to Protect Yourself Smoke contains many harmful chemicals, a big concern when a wildfire happens is the air particles that come from the smoke. When going out in the woods you should be prepared for a possible wildfire. The most harmful chemical would be a PM2.5, they are solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in air with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller. The Air Quality Index of unhealthy areas would be 151 or higher, as people that work around smoke have stated. Before going out anywhere near a fire you should have the proper respiratory equipment.

Examples of how workers that work near wildfires would work they would wear respiratory equipment they would wear an N95 mask specifically disposable ones. So when going out near any plausible area fire, just in cases of an emergency you should pack an N95 mask and be careful of the possible harmful chemicals around you.

Sources Cited: https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/5100/2017_wildfiresiege_cause.pdf https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/09/06/following-wildfire-caused-power-system-disruptions-near-record-energy-demand-california-takes-action-to-conserve-energy/ https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/protecting-yourself-wild https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/wildfire/worker-protection-from-wildfire-smoke.html

WILDFIRES

A Tree’s Best Friend or Worst Nightmare?

Joshua Velasquez and Alexander Garcia-Miller Wildfires in California have become a rising problem within the past few years. Despite being categorized as “natural occurrences,” they still cause great damage and affect human-built structures and the natural environment. Millions of acres of land are lost every year, and humans aren’t completely innocent when it comes to wildfires. They’re considered natural occurrences, but not all wildfires are started naturally. There are many ways to prepare for a wildfire and ways to help you and your family if you were faced with one.

affect climate change” states that “ Wildfires emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that will continue to warm the planet well into the future.” Not only do wildfires cause air quality to become extremely bad, but they have begun to be connected to climate change.

Wildfires are always bad for the environment, especially if there is a wildfire season,like in California.

This past summer, we had to watch several fires as they ravaged throughthe land, like the Mendocino Complex Wildfires are considered a natural process, where fires Fire, the Camp Fire, and more happened within the help clear dead trees and kill competing vegetation past few years, and these fires, even if there’re examples, from the forest floor. According to the article “The they show the destructive nature of wildfires. As you good and bad of Forest Fires,” there are several benefits would think, firefighters have many options to contain from naturally occurring wildfires. New plants are these fires, like raking fire fuels out of the path of the given a chance when wildfires clear out the dead or fire, using water to cool the fire, or dropping fire competing plants. Lightning strikes, powerlines, and retardants from above in a helicopter. Naturally, like even lava have the potential to start wildfires. When a medicine, these methods have negative, unintended wildfire warning is issued, people must act quickly and side effects, for example, with fire retardant, it drops follow certain procedures depending on how close they methyl bromide, which is reactive in air, and could are to the fire. If you live in a forested area, you can cause air quality to worsen, adding to the damage the prevent damage by taking away tinder during the dry smoke causes to air quality. To add to the side effects, season and trim your trees. If a wildfire happens and flame-retardant exposes species to bromide, and that it evacuation is recommended, you should highly consid- showed through fecal matter “BDE-99, -209 and EHer doing it. Evacuating will keep your family safe and TBB were also detected in mink and otter feces, at rates clear up the roads for the firefighters. of 81%, 25%, and 81%, respectively; plus BEH-TEBP at 13%. BFR levels correlated positively with human popWhen it comes to wildfires, the climate can have a big ulation density except along the lower Bitterroot River, impact. Wildfires commonly happen during the sumwhere BDE-209 sediment and feces levels exceeded mer or early fall. The hot weather will leave the forest other sites by several orders of magnitude” (La Guardia with dry wood and vegetation that will fuel the fire. It et al.). A study into flame retardants containing brostates in the article, “Weather Elements that Affect mide was conducted, and what they found was alarmFire Behavior” that “Wind is important to the preing, that these bromide containing flame retardants, scribed burners firefighter because of three influences either pre-treated on material, or dropped during fires, it has on fire behavior: Supplying oxygen for the com- contained Dixons, aka toxins, and it was found in many bustion process, reducing fuel moisture by increasing biomes, including humans “since the 1990s, flame evaporation, and physically move the fire and heat retardants have begun to raise environmental concerns produced closer to fuel in the path of the fire increasbecause some brominated flame retardants (e.g., polying radiation including in some cases pitching burnt brominated diphenylethers, PBDE) were found to embers, firebrands.” Wildfires, however, don’t return form halogenated dioxins and furans in uncontrolled the favor to the environment and the climate. Wildfires combustion, and also because flame retardants were release lots of carbon dioxide into the air and cause the found in various environmental compartments and air quality to worsen. The article “How Wildfires can biota, including humans’’

On the topic of flame retardants, what if we considered fires themselves. I know most wildfires are bad, but ignore that for a second. What if I told you that some experts suggest fires, which may sound crazy, but bear with me. Over several years forests build up in fuel for fires, and a human or lightning sparks it, and you now have a destructive fire. But if you burn that fuel beforehand in a controlled environment, it can benefit the ecosystem, as well as preventing severe wildfires. But even firefighters sometimes burn fuel in the path of an already existing wildfire, to reduce the available fuel for the wildfire, possibly stopping it. Now I know what you’re already thinking, what about the ones that go wrong? There have been examples of controlled fires gone crazy, but it was only due to an oversight in some key details.

Fire managers think out every single detail and plan when prescribing controlled burns, such as the objective, back-up, location, time, and so forth, which should relieve a lot of Californians. Despite all these pros, there are always cons, like the risk of becoming uncontrolled, which divides experts, whether in government or science, whether controlled fires are good “Working with partners such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, WWF has intentionally burned hundreds of acres of prairie land to revitalize these key habitats” (“Forest Fires: The Good and the Bad”), “Land management agencies have done a tremendous job educating the public about the dangers of wildland fire and reducing the number of human-caused fires” (“Daniel Boone National Forest - Home”).

BIBLIOGRAPHY Moreno, J., et al. “Bromine Enrichment in Marsh Sediments as a Marker of Environmental Changes Driven by Grand Solar Minima and Anthropogenic Activity (Caminha, NW of Portugal).” Science of The Total Environment, vol. 506–507, Feb. 2015, pp. 554–566, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969714016568, 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.11.062. Accessed 21 Oct. 2020.

La Guardia, Mark J., et al. “A Noninvasive Environmental Monitoring Tool for Brominated Flame-Retardants (BFRs) Assisted by Conservation Detection Dogs.” Chemosphere, vol. 260, Dec. 2020, p. 127401, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653520315952, 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127401. Accessed 21 Oct. 2020.

Beard, Adrian, and David Angeler. “Flame Retardants: Chemistry, Applications, and Environmental Impacts.” Handbook of Combustion, 15 July 2010, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9783527628148.hoc017, 10.1002/9783527628148.hoc017. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

“Forest Fires: The Good and the Bad.” World Wildlife Fund, 2018, www.worldwildlife.org/stories/forest-fires-the-good-and-the-bad. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

“Daniel Boone National Forest - Home.” Usda.Gov, 2020, www.fs.usda.gov/detail/dbnf/home/?cid=stelprdb5281464. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

OCTOBER 2020 | VOL 1

BLOWN

INTO

THE

WILD

By : Itzel Medina, Jordan Stamper, Sadhika Rattnam and Alyssa Camarena

This issue's flaming articles: Significant California Wildfires -2 Effects of Wildfires -3 Ways We Can Sizzle Out Wildfires -4

ABOUT

HOW

MANY WILDFIRES OCCUR

EVERY

YEAR?

Natural wildfires are usually caused by lightning, lava, extreme heat waves (hot weather), vehicle crashes (engine sparks), etc.

Many wildfires are also caused by discarded cigarettes,

dropped

matches,

fireworks,

power line arcs, uncontrolled campfires, and arson.

More than 60,000 wildfires occur in the United States each year and over 6.8 million acres are burned.

Sometimes, wildfires are causes naturally, but majority of the time it is caused by humans.

Erosion,

landslides,

bad

water

quality,

smoky/polluted weather, and debris flows are all effects of the aftermath of a wildfire.

Significant California Wildfires CEDAR San Diego (October 2003)

The Cedar Fire was one of the largest fires California has ever experienced. It destroyed 273,000 acres. It happened because a hunter got lost and this was his way of signaling for help.

ZACA Santa Barbara (July 2007)

The Zaca fire is known to be the 2nd largest fire that has ever occured in California. It burned 240,207 acres. It was caused by sparks from a grinding machine on private property.

RUSH Lassen (August 2012)

The rush fire was one of the largest fires experienced in the year 2012. It was caused by lighting and overtime began to worsen. All together, it destroyed 315,577 acres, and eventually spread into Nevada.

Effects of Wildfires Wildfires leave a major effect on the earth. When wildfires happen, carbon dioxide and black/brown carbon is released into the atmosphere.

Fire can be way of renewing and change, but it can be deadly and is one of the main effects of damaging people's homes and other wildlife habitat.

Wildfires cause polluted air and the polluted air can travel very far affecting many problems.

Not only does it affect humans and their homes, but it affects many animals who live in the forests and their homes. Many animals are not able to survive because of the rapid wildfires.They lose their home and those who escape are in very bad shape.

Wildfires help to kill off harmful insects and diseased plants and allow the ecosystem to return to a healthy state as new growth appears.

90% of wildfires are caused by humans Though wildfires are disasters, they help the ecosystem restore to a healthy environment Weather conditions can directly contribute to the occurrence of wildfires through lightning strikes or indirectly by an extended dry spell or drought.

WAYS WE CAN SIZZLE OUT WILDFIRES

Here's some flaming facts of how you can help!

"CREATE A DEFENSIBLE SPACE AROUND YOUR HOME BY USING THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION’S (NFPA) ZONE CONCEPT." "CHOOSE FIRE-RESISTANT PLANTS. CONSULT A LANDSCAPER IN YOUR AREA OR THIS STATEBY-STATE LIST OF FIRE-RESISTANT PLANTS AT THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION’S FIREWISE WEBSITE." "CREATE EMPTY SPACE BETWEEN SHRUBS AND TREES TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF FLAMES LEAPING BETWEEN THEM." "PRUNE TREES ABOVE THE HEIGHT OF BUSHES AND SHRUBS (APPROXIMATELY 6’-10’ OFF THE GROUND) AND REMOVE DEAD BRANCHES." "MOW GRASSY AREAS REGULARLY SO THAT THE GRASS IS NEVER MORE THAN 4" HIGH." "REMOVE DEAD AND DRY PLANTS THAT COULD FUEL A FIRE, AS WELL AS FALLEN LEAVES, PINE CONES, AND OTHER DRY PLANT MATERIAL." YOU SHOULD PROTECT AN ACRE OF LAND WE RECOMMEND YOU BUY SOME LAND "SUPPORT INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS" "REDUCE YOUR WOOD AND PAPER CONSUMPTION" "EAT LESS BEEF" "VOTE" "GET EVEN MORE POLITICAL" "CHALLENGE CORPORATIONS"

Chemistry- Period 2

WILDFIRES By: Katelyn Moul, Krystal Luong, Kiara Flores, and Karina Sandhu

Introduction Wildfires are unpredictable, destructive, and most certainly not welcome anywhere.

They have become a rising concern in the United States, especially in the state of California. Within the last 100 years, California has had over 310 wildfires and in just this year alone, has had over 4 million acres burned. As of October 20, 2020, there have been 22 wildfires in California, with the largest one known as the August Complex Fire, which currently has burned over 1,032,264 acres.

Causes of Wildfires Wildfires can be caused by a number of things. Some wildfires can be caused naturally or some can be caused unintentionally. However, in the United States, the majority of wildfires are caused by humans. Making careless mistakes such as leaving campfires unattended, incorrectly disposing of cigarettes, or using flammable equipment can all be the cause of a wildfire. Yet, unintentional accidents like down power lines or lighting are completely out of our control.

A fire only needs two things to stay “alive” the fuel and the oxygen. California’s dry environment is becoming the fuel for wildfires and is drawing in oxygen from the winds to keep it going. Creating a spark at the wrong time in the wrong place can result in something unimaginable.

Ways we can Protect Ourselves and our Property Wildfires can be very dangerous to both people and their properties. Thankfully, there are precautions that you can take that prevent injuries and protect our properties. The first thing that helps when protecting yourself, is to prepare a premade bag with essentials that can later save you and your family’s life. Some basic items that the American Red Cross advocates recommend to put into a designated bag is a deluxe first aid kit, water bottles, non-perishable foods, flashlights, radios, portable chargers for devices, and other essential materials.

Having a bag readily available can help get you and your family to safety if you needed to evacuate your home in a faster fashion. This can also be helpful in other circumstances such as earthquakes, power outages, and wildfires! How can you

protect your property during wildfires? If you live near a wildfire-prone area these tips can help prevent the spread of wildfires. Keeping your gutters clean, removing dead vegetation around your home, and clearing flammable objects at least 30 feet away from your homes. All of these simple steps can later save your life and your family’s life. Keeping everything in a safe place that is easily accessible can save someone’s life when needed.

Weather Influence Weather is playing a big role in the active wildfires that are burning right now. As you can tell California’s weather is not great. With air temperatures getting hotter, a drought, strong winds, and lightning striking, it makes for record-breaking fire seasons. Temperatures are rising which means soil tends to get drier. Lightning is a common starter for wildfires especially when it strikes dry soil because it creates a spark that then leads to a wildfire. Little moisture in the air is caused by the hot temperatures and that leads to wildfires living longer. Winds can create more oxygen for fires to increase the rate of speed and help spread fires more rapidly.

Wind can also carry fires in all directions which can make it harder to contain them.

This said, the weather has a major influence on wildfires, especially when all these components are combined.

Climate Outcome Over the years, climate change has been one of the many key outcomes that have occurred as a result of an increase in wildfires across the United States, especially in the West. When wildfires occur, large amounts of black carbon, carbon dioxide,

ozone precursors, as well as brown carbon are released into the atmosphere, which overall affects clouds, radiation, and climate on both regional and global levels. The release of these greenhouse gases will continue to warm the planet “well into the future”. Since forests typically remove CO2 from the air, the damaging of them by wildfires leads to complex effects on cooling and warming due to the injection of aerosols. It is estimated that a total of 8 billion tons of CO2 have been released per year due to the increase in wildfires. Due to the California wildfires in recent years, the increase of CO2 into the atmosphere imperils the state’s progress to try to combat climate change. These emissions of CO2 aren’t the only affect wildfires have on the climate. Wildfires also leave long-lasting changes to the ground, and the emissions from the decomposition of the dead wood, have negative effects on the climate. Not only that, wildfires also produce aerosols, in particular black carbon, which when emitted, it can heat up the atmosphere by absorbing heat. Overall, wildfires have a major impact on our climate, and we, as humans, should try to work together to find methods on how to combat this climate change crisis.

In the end, the best thing we can do to prevent wildfires, is to be cautious with the actions we make and to be prepared if one were to occur. However, again circumstances involving natural causes are out of our control, but we must do our best to protect our environment. “Fire destruction is one man’s job, fire prevention is everybody’s job.” - Unknown

Works Cited “13 Worst Wildfires in US History: Earth.Org - Past: Present: Future.” ​Earth.Org - Past | Present | Future​, 15 Sept. 2020, earth.org/worst-wildfires-in-us-history/#:~:text=The 1871 Peshtigo Fire, Wisconsin,other wildfires in US history.

Alonso, Melissa. “California's Record-Breaking Wildfires Consume Nearly 1 Million Acres in a Month.” C ​ NN​, Cable News Network, 17 Oct. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/10/17/us/california-wildfires-saturday/index.html.

Bob Berwyn, InsideClimate News, et al. “How Wildfires Can Affect Climate Change (and Vice Versa).” I​ nsideClimate News​, 12 Mar. 2020, insideclimatenews.org/news/23082018/extreme-wildfires-climate-change-global-war ming-air-pollution-fire-management-black-carbon-co2#:~:text=Wildfires emit carbon dioxide and,effects on warming and cooling.

Borenstein, Seth. “What Makes California Burn so Much? Climate Change and People, Experts Say.” A ​ BC7 Los Angeles​, KABC-TV, 21 Aug. 2020, abc7.com/what-causes-wildfires-cal-fire-california-ca/6381945/#:~:text=The state burns regularly because,starting fires accidentally or on.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). “California Daily Wildfire Update.” O ​ rganization Image​, www.fire.ca.gov/daily-wildfire-report/.

“Drought and Wildfires.” ​Drought and Wildfires | North Carolina Climate Office​, climate.ncsu.edu/edu/Wildfire#:~:text=If the dry conditions persist,ample fuel for the

fires.&text=Wildfires will ignite very easily,conditions and can spread quickly.

JRSBlogWriter. “Tips for Protecting Your Property from Wildfire.” T​ ips for Protecting Your Property from Wildfire - Potter Roemer​, www.potterroemer.com/blog/post/2019/10/30/Tips-For-Protecting-Your-Property-Fro m-Wildfire.aspx.

Morales, Christina, and Allyson Waller. “A Gender-Reveal Celebration Is Blamed for a Wildfire. It Isn't the First Time.” ​The New York Times​, The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/us/gender-reveal-party-wildfire.html?auth=login-googl e.

Moritz, Max. “Wildfires Are Inevitable-Fatalities and Homes Losses Are Not.” ​Scientific American​, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2018, www.scientificamerican.com/article/wildfires-are-inevitable-mdash-fatalities-and-ho mes-losses-are-not/.

Mulkern, Anne C. “Fast-Moving California Wildfires Boosted by Climate Change.” ​Scientific American​, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2020, www.scientificamerican.com/article/fast-moving-california-wildfires-boosted-by-clima te-change/.

NBC Southern California. “Map: See California's Wildfire History Since 1910.” N ​ BC Los Angeles​, NBC Southern California, 19 Aug. 2020, www.nbclosangeles.com/news/california-wildfires/map-see-californias-wildfire-histor y-since-1910/2415444/.

Peñaloza, Marisa. “California Wildfires Near Tragic Milestone: 4 Million Acres Burned.” ​NPR​,

NPR, 2 Oct. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/10/02/919554698/california-wildfires-near-tragic-milestone-4-milli on-acres-burned#:~:text=California Wildfires Near Tragic Milestone: 4 Million Acres Burned The,over 96,000 residents to evacuate.

Pierre-louis, Kendra, and John Schwartz. “Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires?” T​ he New York Times​, The New York Times, 21 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/article/why-does-california-have-wildfires.html.

“Survival Kit Supplies.” ​What Do You Need In a Survival Kit | American Red Cross​, www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/survival-kit-supplies.ht ml.

“Weather Elements That Affect Fire Behavior.” ​Weather Elements​, www.auburn.edu/academic/forestry_wildlife/fire/weather_elements.htm#:~:text=Arg uably, temperature, is the single,weather factor affecting fire behavior.&text=Warm fuels will ignite and,They will also be drier.

“Wildfire Causes and Evaluations (U.S. National Park Service).” N ​ ational Parks Service​, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm.

“Wildfires and Climate Change.” ​Center for Climate and Energy Solutions​, 14 Sept. 2020, www.c2es.org/content/wildfires-and-climate-change/.

W​I​LD ​ ​FI​ R ​ ​E​S​ ​

​I​SA ​ A ​ ​ C ​ ​M ​A T ​ H ​ ​E W ​ ​S,​ ​ J​ ​O​HN ​ ​ ​M A ​ ​TH ​ E ​ ​W S ​ ​,​ ​A​ND ​ ​ ​BR ​ A ​ ​ N ​D O ​ ​N ​ H ​ ​O​OP ​ ​E​S

INTRODUCTION Wildfires have recently caught the attention of the public eye in California due to the low air quality caused by these fires. This phenomenon has had many wondering: What causes these wildfires and why do they occur so frequently? In this article, we look to science for answers. It turns out that there’s a mix of human and natural factors that produce and sustain these wildfires, although much of the time humans influence the natural factors through carbon dioxide emissions and such. These claims will be investigated throughout the article.

​FUELING THE FLAME: FACTORS PRODUCING WILDFIRES There are various factors which produce a wildfire and influence the spread and growth of the fire. The first factor is an obvious one, which is the temperature. Every fire needs a certain amount of heat to start the processes of combustion and ignition. The hotter it is, the more likely it is that there will be a fire. However, an unintended effect of high temperatures is that the radiation from the Sun is absorbed by fuel in the forests. This is important because it makes the fuel more hot and dry which ignites and spreads the fire quicker than it would be spread otherwise. This is a huge problem in many forests because of the overgrowth in forests. The huge amount of fuel combined with the hot and dry climate leads to destructive wildfires. Another factor that affects the wildfire is the wind. The wind is important because it supplies oxygen which is also necessary for the combustion of the fire. Wind also spreads the fire quicker due to the movement of air and it dries up the air, leading to a worse wildfire. Another factor that affects the fire is atmospheric stability. Instability occurs due to the fact that the Earth isn't heated evenly, and it leads to vertical movement of air and therefore causes more gusty winds. This increases the power of the fire, and a sign of instability is cumulus clouds as they are formed by updrafts and downdrafts. The last factor is relative humidity, which shows the amount of moisture in the atmosphere. The amount of moisture is important because it absorbs heat, which therefore reduces the intensity of a wildfire. A low relative humidity leads to a wildfire that spreads easier.

WILDFIRES AND GLOBAL WARMING: A RISING THERMOSTAT One of the most significant influences on wildfires happens to be one of the biggest topics of interest and one of the biggest issues in science: global warming. First and foremost, global warming’s leading cause is the extensive and excessive use of fossil fuels. The modern world uses so much

fossil fuel each year, coming in at a staggering approximate of ten billion metric tons per year. This colossal fossil fuel consumption leads to the release of a large quantity of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, trapping heat. When the carbon emissions trap heat in the atmosphere, the climates around the world slowly heat up. With the increase in temperature, comes an increase in the length of the fire season in California, and other parts of the world notorious for wildfires. With an increasing temperature and our forests becoming increasingly drier, wildfires are sparked more frequently.

Then, wildfires, in turn, also contribute to climate change on our planet. The article “How Wildfires Can Affect Climate Change (And Vice Versa)” does a great job at explaining the effect of wildfires on the climate. The article states, “Wildfires emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that will continue to warm the planet well into the future. They damage forests that would otherwise remove CO2 from the air.

And they inject soot and other aerosols into the atmosphere, with complex effects on warming and cooling.” The article talks about the seemingly endless cycle between climate change and wildfires. Global warming, along with other factors of course, increases the rate of wildfires, which then, again with other contributing factors, increases global temperatures. California has been burning for a very long time, and if we can institute a method of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, therefore decreasing the global warming on our planet, we will be one step closer to cooling off our state.

​SOURCES "How Wildfires Can Affect Climate Change (and Vice Versa ...." 23 Aug. 2018, https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082018/extreme-wildfires-climate-change-global-warming -air-pollution-fire-management-black-carbon-co2​. Accessed 20 Oct. 2020.

"What Do Wildfires Have to Do with Climate Change?." 13 Oct. 2014, https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2014/10/13/what-do-wildfires-have-to-do-with-climate-change/​.

Accessed 20 Oct. 2020.

"How Much Fuel Does It Take To Power The World? - Forbes." 20 Sep. 2017, https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2017/09/20/how-much-fuel-does-it-take-to-pow er-the-world/​. Accessed 20 Oct. 2020.

"Study Bolsters Case That Climate Change Is Driving Many ...." 15 Jul. 2019, https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2019/07/15/study-bolsters-case-that-warming-climate-is-driving-m any-california-wildfires/​. Accessed 20 Oct. 2020.

ARE YOU PREAPRED FOR A WILDFIRE?

OCTOBER 2020

California Wildfires 2020 has been a rollercoaster for us all, and the California wildfires play a major role in contributing to this year’s unfortunate circumstances. Our beautiful state is prone to wildfires, demonstrated in 2018 when over 7,500 fires occurred in NorCal. These were partially fueled by strong winds that intensified the situation over the course of a few months.

This may leave you wondering; What exactly causes a wildfire? Wildfires are usually started by means of human interference or a natural cause.

These causes are amplified by the factors that are required for a wildfire to stay ablaze. Fuel, oxygen, and heat sources will create the wildfire’s fire triangle. This triangle will sustain the wildfire, providing it with a burning source, supplying it with oxygen, and providing it with an ignition temperature. In theory, when one of these factors is taken away or the source is destroyed, the fire can be put out.

Wildfires have an incredibly large impact on our environment, especially climate change.

When they occur, wildfires emit loads of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, which take a toll on our ozone layer. Over time, these wildfires have contributed to an overall drier climate and make certain areas of North America more susceptible to wildfires.

If you hear about wildfires entering your area, there are some precautions you should take.

You should remove anything flammable that can ignite the base of your home; try to go for 30 feet from your home. Another tip would be to cut down any low branches from your trees to make sure that the lowest branch on your it is 6-10 feet away from the ground,.

This prevents a higher risk of your house catching on fire. These are only some of the precautions you can do to make your house safe from housefires.

Hypothetically, if there were a wildfire in your area, here are some methods on what to do. One: make sure to stay informed. The best way would be from radios, social media, and the fire department. Make sure to gather all of the people in your house and account for them. Close all the doors to prevent embers from penetrating your home. Fill any large containers with water sources, for example: pools, hot tubs, garbage cans, etc. You want to make sure your garden hose is connected to the water source, as firefighters might need this in a case of an emergency. Hopefully you will never have to reach this step, but evacuate. Leave as early as possible and don't linger around for the fire to catch your house. Leave when evacuation orders have been given.

We know about safety for humans, but what happens to the animals, air, and plants during a wildfire? You could say animals and plants are similar because of the way animals are affected in their habitats. How they are affected depends largely on the animal's food source, For example, if the animal is a herbivore, the fire burns down all of the food source. As for air, it increases air pollution and sometimes smoke can spread to other areas of the world. Wildfires emit a lot of volatile materials and nitrogen oxides that make ozone and organic particulate matter. How do firefighters stop this?

Controlled burns are an effective method for prevention. It is fairly agreed upon that controlled burns do play a role in mitigating wildfires. The process of controlling burns involves implementing intentional fires in forests during a time period where it is highly unlikely for fires to remain ablaze or progressively become a wildfire. The main purposes are to eliminate certain debris (like dead plants and unnecessary debris), destroy invasive species, and create more openings for certain areas to receive sunlight.

HELENA TEUNG-OUK, KATIE QUACH, EMILIANO MEJIA

MCHS

Burn Voyage: There’s so Much More to the Flame!

10/21/2020 By: Natalie Vang, Katie Huynh, Kimberly Truong, Linda Nguyen Bernal

Light’s Count All the Reasons: There are many causes of wildfires especially with the heat rising up this year, there have been so many wildfires that have been caused for all different reasons. One natural reason why wildfires occur are through lighting, specifically hot, dry, and longer strikes of lightning. Another major cause of wildfires is through human induced wildfires, whether it be slash and burn farming or a cigarette butt. People are able to protect themselves and their property by cutting their grass regularly, or even storing your personal firewood in a safe place.

Bringing in the Heat: Weather can affect wildfires because increasing heat, changing weather patterns, shifts in plant communities, and other drastic climate-related changes have vastly increased the chances that fires will start more often.

That also means that they can and sometimes will burn more intensely and widely than they have in the past.

Some other factors that can increase the chances of wildfires starting are higher temperatures and drought.

Wildfires can affect our climate by also causing ecosystem changes and releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Big wildfires have always existed, long before humans began altering the climate by burning fossil fuels. Those historical emissions are part of the planet's natural carbon cycle. But human activities, like firefighting practices or making campfires, are resulting in bigger, and more intense fires in which their emissions could become a much bigger contributor to global warming in the future.

LITtle by LITtle, We’re Burning: If caused naturally, wildfires can have lots of benefits for the environment, but when a wildfire is manmade there are a lot of unintended consequences that could take part. Wildfires can help renew an ecosystem and make it better than it was before. The kind of environment that the fire spreads to determines the

usefulness of the fire, and whether or not it’d do more harm than good. Fires act as pest control

by getting rid of nonnative species that could’ve been overpopulating the ecosystems’ native species. For a surface fire specifically, it helps get rid of undergrowth which allows light to shine through, helping the growth of vegetation, and it burns away leftover trash.

Crown fires, fires that burn at the top layer of trees, create new homes for animals to rest in and give new nutrients for potential plants to grow around.

Fight Fire with Firefighters: Because the elements of fire are fuel, oxygen, and heat, some ways to stop wildfires is by raking soil and vegetation which would get rid of potential fuel. The firefighters in charge of handling out of control wildfires drop fire retardant at the top of trees to cool the forest and stop air from spreading it further. They also use water to put out the fires and mix it in with the air to get rid of lit embers.

(Don’t) Take my Breath Away: Wildfires do more than just physical damages to the environment and building structures, the smoke that they release into the air can cause numerous health concerns for the people who breath it in.

Wildfire smoke is a mixture of hazardous air pollutants, the air is always filled with particle pollution-(mixtures of solids and liquids suspended in the air) but when there is a wildfire, the concentration of those particles increases to a hazardous point. This could cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. To protect themselves from fires or fire smoke, first people should keep their environmental alerts on, including air quality reports, public health announcements, and relevant social media. If a person already has a cardiovascular or respiratory disease, they should come up with a health plan with their doctors and avoid going outside. It is also important to filter out air and check or adjust heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems according to the severity of the smoke. Other precautions that people could take are purchasing portable air

cleaners and respirators (if you plan to go outside, this is an important precaution), in a worse case, there may even have to be an evacuation plan.

https://www.epa.gov/wildfire-smoke-course/preparing-fire-season#alerts https://www.epa.gov/wildfire-smoke-course/why-wildfire-smoke-health-concern https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/09/climate-change-increases-risk-fires-wester n-us/ https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082018/extreme-wildfires-climate-change-global-warming -air-pollution-fire-management-black-carbon-co2 https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-causes-a-wildfire.html https://www.wikihow.com/Protect-Your-Home-from-a-Wildfire https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildland-fire-spread-and-suppression.htm