A disaster expert explains why Los Angeles fires had such catastrophic impact – State of the Planet

The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles are one of the most devastating and horrific disasters the city has ever seen. As of press time, five people have died, 27,000 acres have burned, and at least 130,000 people are under evacuation orders. The scope of this tragedy is only just coming into focus.

We asked Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, director of the National Disaster Preparedness Center and associate professor of practice in the climate profession at the Columbia Climate Institute, about the connection to climate change, why these fires are so destructive and what to do about the spread of wildfires.

Why did the Los Angeles fires spread so quickly and violently?

There are several factors at play here, but one of the biggest is the prolonged drought and low humidity that contributed to wildfire danger in the first place. In California, the phenomenon tends to be more noticeable this time of year, especially when rainfall is low. And then you have the Santa Ana winds coming out of the desert – very, very strong winds, up to 100 miles an hour. Once you have a spark, those things explode.

There’s also something unique about the Los Angeles fires. There are very densely populated areas, forested areas and hilly areas. As heat rises with the wind, the very dry fuel burns on the upward slope and moves quickly up the hillside.

Does climate change play a role here?

Overall, wildfires are where we are indeed seeing clearer signals of the impacts of climate change. It’s no secret that we’re seeing an increase in wildfire frequency, caused by increased drought and a host of other factors. Numerous studies in Europe, the United States and elsewhere suggest this effect [from climate change]we expect this influence to grow.

Why are these burning areas of Los Angeles so vulnerable to wildfires?

Back when these houses were built, they were just small bungalows, probably bought cheaply by actors working in Hollywood in the 20th century. Now they are highly sought after. They are very expensive. Everyone wants to live there, but the infrastructure has never been built for so many people.

Additionally, narrow and mountainous roads make accessing these areas very difficult. After the Getty Fire a few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit some of the affected areas with members of the Los Angeles Fire Department. We drove an SUV along narrow roads into the hills of the burned area. They said, “Imagine trying to move equipment here – we have enough trouble driving our SUVs on a normal day.” Now people are evacuating. You have a fire truck but are having trouble turning on these roads.

Another factor is that one of the more effective ways to prevent fires is to manage foliage on your property. But some people pay millions of dollars for these homes and they want shade on their porches.

Due to the huge and unprecedented demand for water, fire hydrants have gone dry. Can you comment on this?

Los Angeles itself is located in a region that has been under chronic pressure on natural resources, especially water. Climate change will only make things worse. But we also have more and more people living there. So I think any solution to reduce risk [of wildfire] Water must be part of the conversation. A number of factors need to be considered, not only for the long-term development of the area, but also for reducing the risk and impact of such disasters. We need stronger policies that prioritize investment in water infrastructure and take issues like wildfires and potential vulnerabilities into account.

What do you think the lasting impact of these fires will be?

We see all these reports about celebrities losing their homes. While I absolutely do not take anyone’s loss lightly, there are many people who have lost their homes and will be fine. They will recover, they will have insurance, they will have savings, they will buy new things. There are also many people who have lost everything and will not be able to recover, they will be in debt, and they will have residual stress that can lead to health and mental health problems. Many people are struggling to get by, and this will push even more people over the edge. Even getting some disaster assistance programs can take years and can be very complicated and very difficult if you don’t have an attorney or accountant to help you through it. For most people, recovery does not take weeks or months. It can take years or even decades for communities to recover.

Will people rebuild in these same areas?

Absolutely. Whether they should or not is another question. Our disaster policy generally focuses on reconstruction. It changes what it was – it recreates what it was. It makes some changes to make rebuilding more resilient. It will be interesting to see if they take the time to rezone or change building codes. The Hollywood Hills and the Palisades are areas where people want to live, and if those people don’t rebuild, someone else will.

As we see more and more disaster events, this raises some questions [about risk] Do insurance companies plan to continue insuring homes in the long term? Increasingly, the answer seems to be no. If uninsurable, will banks continue to provide mortgages on homes that may be destroyed by a natural disaster? Looking to the future, these problems will bring a greater existential crisis to the real estate market.

What steps can people living in fire-prone areas take to protect themselves?

There are actually many things you can do to mitigate or reduce your vulnerability. One of these is managing trees and vegetation on your property – reducing branches and leaving greater distance between your property and forested areas. Choosing the right plant types to plant, such as those that are more fire or drought tolerant, can make a big difference. Using fire-resistant materials for construction can also go a long way.

Residents need to be involved, too. The reason fire departments don’t have all the resources they need is because of taxes. This is where citizen engagement really matters. If the roads aren’t widened to make it easier for fire trucks to get in and out, we need people at those meetings to say, “Yes, we do need this.” Local politics is more important than national politics in terms of participation because when you’re at risk In time, resources will be deployed there, and these resources will either arrive in time or they will not arrive in time.

This is also a good opportunity for residents, whether affected or not, to review their insurance policies and check what is and is not covered. Many times, people think things are resolved, but they are not.

Even if they are not in an evacuation zone, people should consider, if you had to leave soon, where would you go? What do you need to bring? In any disaster situation, you have to stay in one place for a long time or have to leave quickly. What do you need to stay healthy, comfortable, and connected?

The bottom line here is that the table in Los Angeles is geared toward disasters because a lot of the policies are not necessarily related to disaster management, but transportation policy, housing policy, natural resource policy, economic development policy, and everyone has an idea of ​​how to develop these. Your own incentives and your own priorities and your own interest groups. Ultimately, because of the decisions we make based on all of these other ways of thinking, we’re facing areas with higher levels of danger and limited resources to deal with them. Thinking needs to become more integrated and disaster resilience needs to be more fully integrated into the process.

What resources are available to people affected by these fires?

The best place to go is always your local emergency management department. They will have access to the latest and greatest resources. Because this is still an active burning area, the local fire department and local emergency services are your best resources in terms of your risk and safety of coming and going. Of course, the Red Cross has the latest information as well as shelter and other resources. As FEMA and other agencies issue disaster declarations, additional resources will be made available by other organizations.