The scourge of wildfires yet again in California has the hallmarks of recurrent disaster nightmare for America’s most populous state. Last year’s fire season — in which the Camp Fire took more than 80 lives in the devastated town of Paradise alone — may have been the first glimpse into a future of almost dystopian threats to communities throughout the state, and the nation. However, from understanding the complexity of the causes of these events, there is an opportunity to re-write the way California approaches wildfires. In doing so, they can also provide a much needed roadmap for resilience for the rest of the nation.
There is no question that the climate crisis with increasingly dry, increasingly flammable woodland fuel and rising surface temperatures is contributing to more wildfires in California and elsewhere. Moreover, while we focus on renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, trying to prevent climate change can sometimes undermine the ability to adapt to the changes already taking place.