California Wildfire Research Paper

Joan Didion in her essay, “The Santa Ana” and Linda Thomas in her essay, “Brush Fire” describes the Santa Ana in two opposing stands with similar moves. Didion's purpose in writing her essay for the Santa Ana is to inform her readers. She informs them about the Santa Ana, the effect the winds have on human behavior, and how they have to live with the Santa Ana. Thomas writes her essay to engage readers on the Santa Ana’s effect on brushes. She gives details on how the Santa Ana causes natural brush fires and the beauty it is able to create in the aftermath.

The preconditions of the area where the fire occurred were very dry land with “whipping seasonal gusts known as the Santa Ana winds and the Diablo winds” (mnn.com). The fire was started by a hunter who was lost in the woods. He believed he could be found easily if he started a small signal fire however, because of the preconditions, this small fire would spread and become the “largest single fire in California’s recorded history” (mnn.com)

In October 2003, San Diego experienced the Cedar Fire that claimed 273,246 acres, 2,820 structures, and 15 lives (CAL FIRE, 2015). It gained the moniker, “The Hundred Year Fire” because another fire of its magnitude was not expected for another 100 years (San Diego Fire Facts, 2016). This expectation was short lived because four years after this fire in October 2007, San Diego experienced the largest wildfire in history (San Diego Fire Facts, 2016). This fire gained the name, “Witch Fire” (CAL FIRE, 2015).

In 2016 “there have been more than 4,000 wildfires in California, with well over 300,000 acres of land burned” (Kieran Cooke).

The hayman fire is the biggest fire in recorded history burning 138,000 acres. The fire has had long lasting damages on the environment. There were many factor that added up that created a dangerous situation where the area was very fire prone. Though the fire was believed to be started by a woman burning a letter but the forest had the right conditions to generate a massive fire.

The first cavalry of wildland firefighters began in August 1886 led by Captain Moses Harris from Troop M. When he took command of the group at Yellowstone National Park, their job was to manage and protect the park.The cavalry remained there for the next 32 years. Quickly after the group's arrival, they immediately began fighting wildfires all around the park. Here emerged the first group of wildland firefighters to be paid for their service. Workers began to apply new regulations, including campfire restrictions when deemed absolutely necessary. These regulations are known as NFPA’s which is an acronym for National Fire Protection Association.

Thomas describes scenes of “orange flames” lighting the sky and families and friends watching the fires with “soft drinks” and “camera’s”. . At the same time, Didion describes the sky as “a yellow cast, the kind of light sometimes called ‘earthquake weather’ For Thomas, the fires are more than just the burning of “chaparral” and medical problems, there are memories that are irreplaceable that only the people who experience the fires can attest to. In the news, most people will hear about everything that has been burned down along with the side effects, such as sinus infections, etc. that are caused by the fire. However, people living outside of California don’t know the experiences and memories, such as families sitting together or young couples kissing that means so much to the native Californians. In Thomas’s “Brush Fire” , she shows that people who do not experience the winds and fires don’t understand that is it more than just burning something; it is a time for people in the community to come together. Science establishes both authors’ arguments and perspectives, however, Thomas uses it to show the vital role it plays in nature, specifically for the plants germination in seed pods. Furthermore, she explains how humans, without respect for nature, get in the way of these fires. It wouldn’t be a problem for many, if land developers took into account the chaparral zones, which is the direct path

On August 12th, Los Angeles Times reported 16,500-acer wildfires grew overnight near Northern California’s wine county. The fire that started August 9th has continued to spread to nearby counties and officials fear gusty winds could continue to spread flames into dry woodlands. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protections, they have prompted residents near the Napa and Yolo county lines to flee their homes; at least 150 homes were evacuated.

One dark, howling night in October, I was camping at Lake Greeson all alone. It was freezing. I felt as if I opened the tent there would be ten feet of snow. The campfire needed to be put out before I went to bed.

On the 7th of February 2009, an extremely bad bushfire started in Victoria. It has been given the name, The Black Saturday Bushfires, and according to Black Saturday Bushfire (2016), the weather conditions were some of the worst bushfire weather conditions ever recorded. People reacted by 500,000 people making donations to the Red Cross and the government raising over $220 million.

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, Wildfire means “a sweeping and destructive conflagration esp. in a wilderness or a rural area.” Also according to the same dictionary, wilderness means “a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings.” Forest Fires happen when there is a drought because branches and twigs die and dry out creating plenty of fuel for a fire. According to the NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center) there are about 105,534 wildfires that occur each year.

A wildfire is any instance of uncontrolled burning in grasslands, brush, or woodlands. Wildfires destroy property and valuable natural resources, and may threaten the lives of people and animals. Wildfires can occur at any time of the year, but usually occur during hot, dry weather. Wildfires are usually signaled by dense smoke which may fill the air for miles around. The National Weather Service, U.S. Forest Service, and State forestry agencies combine to give wildfire probability forecasts. Local radio and television stations broadcast information and warnings on local fire conditions. Wildfires pose an increasing threat to the residential United States. In 1987, 53,000 fires consumed more than two million acres. By October 1988, almost

Wildfires have played an important role in shaping history. They have shaped private islands and public areas. Even though wildfires have destroyed thousands of acres of land and killed millions of people, humans still start these furies of fire either on accident or on purpose. Also, many times people have started controlled burns which people use for different reasons. Sometimes, wildfires are not as bad as some people may think. Even if someone is caught in a wildfire, preparing and getting out is not hard at all. Humans may not always be ready for a wildfire, but they do know how to stop one.

    As you may or may not know, there are some wildfires in Northern California.  I found three sources on the topic, each from a different view.  Fox, from the right, CBS, from the left, and Reuters at the center.  In short, what is happening is in Sonoma County and Napa County there has been some really bad fires that are killing people and damaging lots of property. News is supposed to be objective, telling the situation how it is.  Just looking at the titles for these articles tells you what the audience is supposed to feel.  Fox gave a death count: “ California wildfires kill at least 31, deadliest week for fires in state history”. CBS did too, but it is a much lower number: “At least 13 dead as wildfires devour

Humans have been changing the Western forests' fire system since the settlement by the Europeans and now we are experiencing the consequences of those changes. During the summer of 2002, 6.9 million acres of forests was burnt up in the West (Wildland Fires, 1). This figure is two times the ten year annual average, and it does not look like next summer will be any better (Wildfire Season, 1).