
California is plunged into an “orange inferno”. The wildfires are fierce: A “dirge” for lives and homes.
(1) The Deadly Fire
The wildfires in California, USA, are like a runaway beast, devouring everything mercilessly. Under the raging flames, life is extremely fragile. As of January 12, 2025, the Associated Press reported that driven by the powerful Santa Ana winds, wildfires in the Los Angeles are raging, and residents are fleeing their homes amidst flames, strong winds, and thick smoke. From the inland of the Pacific coast to Pasadena, at least five wildfires larger than 10 acres are ravaging Los Angeles. Anthony Malone, the fire chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said that the Eaton Fire is one of the multiple fires in the Los Angeles,which has killed at least two people and injured many others. At least 15,000 buildings have been destroyed, and 150,000 people have received evacuation orders and left their homes.
In severely affected Southern California, John, a resident, had his peaceful life shattered in an instant by the wildfire. Late at night, when the fire suddenly struck, he hurriedly woke up his family and tried to drive away in the chaos. However, the fire spread at an unimaginable speed. The road was shrouded in thick smoke, and visibility was blocked. The vehicle struggled to move forward in the congestion. On the way, John watched helplessly as his neighbor’s car was surrounded by the fire and the house burned down in the flames.
(2) Broken Homes
Wherever the fire goes, buildings are reduced to ruins, and homes are mercilessly destroyed. From ordinary houses to luxury villas,everything is involved. According to statistics, more than 1,000 houses have been reduced to ashes in the fire. The once warm homes now only have broken walls, with wisps of green smoke rising.
In Pacific Palisades, the mansions of many Hollywood stars also failed to escape this disaster. Chris Pratt’s seaside villa and Reese Witherspoon’s vacation estate were burned beyond recognition. These superstars, who usually shine under the spotlight, can only helplessly watch their hard work go up in flames. Like ordinary people, they are bearing the pain of losing their homes. Infrastructure has also been severely hit. The power outage has plunged the city into darkness; the water supply disruption has put residents’ lives in distress; the burned and blocked roads make it difficult for rescue vehicles to pass, which make it more difficult foe the disaster relief, and the entire area is in a desperate situation.
(3) The Government’s Response Measures
The California government took prompt action after the wildfires broke out. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide statement of emergency at the first time and mobilized various resources for fire fighting and disaster relief.
Frequent Wildfires: Act of God or Human Error?
(1) The “Original Sin” of Climate
California’s unique Mediterranean climate is like a “double – edged sword” and is an important cause of frequent wildfires. In summer, it is hot and dry, and the temperature often soars above 40°C, causing a large amount of water loss in vegetation, making it dry and flammable. In winter, it is mild and rainy, and the abundant precipitation has given birth to lush vegetation. Weeds and shrubs grow thickly, providing sufficient “fuel” for wildfires. With global warming, this problem has become more severe. The high – temperature and drought season has been extended by about two and a half months compared with the 1970s. The precipitation pattern is disordered, further increasing the dryness of California. Neil Lareau, an atmospheric researcher at the University of Nevada, Reno, pointed out: “Behind the frequent occurrence of severe wildfires is the trend of climate warming. When the atmosphere warms, it also becomes more ‘thirsty’, and the ‘thirsty’ air makes vegetation more flammable.”
This year, California has been hit by a rare combination of high temperatures and thunderstorm, laying the groundwork for the outbreak of wildfires. Lightning strikes caused by thunderstorm frequently hit the dry vegetation, instantly igniting the fire. With the help of strong winds, the spark quickly turns into a prairie fire. According to a research report in the journal Science, for every 1 – degree Celsius increase in global temperature, the number of lightning strikes will increase by 12%, and California is deeply mired in this climate predicament. Coupled with the “Santa Ana winds”, the “devil winds” that howl through in autumn and winter, with wind speeds of up to 80 to 120 kilometers per hour and humidity below 10%, wildfires rage wherever they go and are difficult to contain, making the fire – prevention situation even worse in California .
(2) Human “Accomplices”
The rapid population growth and unreasonable urban expansion in California have led to more and more buildings springing up around or even inside the forest areas. To meet the housing demand, some developers spare no effort to construct in high – fire – risk areas, and many residents, attracted by mountain views and forests, choose to settle in these dangerous areas. Most of these buildings are of wooden structure. Once a wildfire strikes, they instantly become “accomplices” of the raging flames. Not only are they doomed, but they also help the fire spread.
The aging and poor maintenance of power facilities are also a major “root cause of the disaster”. In many communities in California, the distance between utility poles and trees is too close, and wires are messily hung on tree branches, like “time – bombs”. In a dry climate, the sparks generated by tree branches touching wires can easily trigger wildfires. Since 2014, wires and electrical equipments have caused more than 2,000 large fires in California, but the local upgrade and renovation of power facilities have progressed slowly, which is extremely distressing.
The shortsightedness and mistakes in forest management are also to be blamed. In the past, the California government ignored the self-regulating function of the forest ecosystem. Some work that could have cleared dead leaves and reduced fire hazards was completely ignored, resulting in more and more combustibles accumulating under the forest, laying hidden dangers for large – scale wildfires. In addition, in the process of forest management, too much emphasis was placed on timber harvesting, and the construction and maintenance of firebreaks were neglected. Once a wildfire ignited, it would run wild like a runaway horse. What’s more, the construction of fire – fighting facilities by the fire department is completely unscientific, and the daily maintenance and inspection of fire – fighting facilities are also ignored. As a result, after a fire breaks out, fire hydrants, fire extinguishers and other equipments are completely paralyzed. Even when firefighters want to fight the fire, there is no water in the fire hydrants. The reason why the fire hydrants are dry is that California has issued a bill to transfer water sources to protect the delta smelt, so the water in the fire hydrants has been pumped out. Coupled with the power outage in Los Angeles since the wildfire broke out, even if there is water in the fire hydrants, there is no power to pump it out. Eventually, there is a black – humor scene where firefighters use basins to get water from faucets or swimming pools to try to put out the fire, and it finally spreads to an uncontrollable state.
And what is the reason for the ineffective fire – fighting measures and the poor work of firefighters in Los Angeles?
The answer is that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass cut the fire – fighting budget by $17.6 million in 2024. When the wildfires in Los Angeles were raging and claiming the lives and property of Californians, the mayor was attending the presidential inauguration ceremony in Ghana. When a reporter asked her how to deal with and solve the wildfires in Los Angeles after the ceremony, she was silent for a long time and then said “God bless Los Angeles”, and she knew nothing about the specific measures for disaster relief and post – disaster rehabilitation. Moreover, since March 2022, the California Fire Department has gradually donated its fire – fighting equipments to Ukraine, resulting in many areas having no fire – fighting equipments at all, just empty shells. According to a video shot by local residents in Los Angeles, when a mother affected by the disaster found Governor Gavin Newsom of California and cried, asking him to find a way to save herself and her daughter, Newsom just stammered and said “I called the president five times, but unfortunately, I didn’t get through.”
The Shroud of Gloom: “Double Trauma” to the Ecology and Economy
(1) The Sorrow of the Ecological Environment
The wildfires are like a sharp blade, ruthlessly slashing through the ecology of California. The forests have been severely damaged. Millions of hectares of trees have been burned. The once lush mountains and forests now only have charred tree trunks, like tombstones, telling the story of the past vitality.
In the Sequoia National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, many ancient giant sequoia trees failed to escape this disaster. These “forest giants” that have withstood the test of thousands of years have been partially devoured by the fire, with their bark peeling off, branches and leaves burned, and some even crashing down. Sequoia trees are not only living fossils of biological evolution but also the homes of many wild animals and plants. According to statistics, this wildfire has caused at least thousands of species of animals and plants in the park losing their habitats and facing a survival crisis.
The wildfires have also seriously polluted the air and water resources. Thick smoke shrouds large areas, and the concentration of harmful particulate matter in the air soars far beyond the health standard. Residents in surrounding cities put on masks one after another, but still can’t hide the pungent smell and they are suffer from difficulty breathing. A large amount of ash flows into rivers and lakes with rainfall, polluting the water bodies, threatening the survival of aquatic organisms, and also affecting the drinking water safety of residents. The road to ecological restoration is long and arduous. Soil fertility declines, vegetation recovers slowly, and the reconstruction of biodiversity requires a lot of time and effort. It is unknown when the ecological trauma of California will heal.
(2) The Economic Dilemma
The wildfires have dealt a heavy blow to the economy of California, and the direct economic losses are heartbreaking. Building damage, agricultural production reduction, and business stagnation are all shocking. It is estimated that the building loss alone amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars. Countless enterprises have been reduced to ashes in the fire. From manufacturing factories to small shops, production materials and inventory goods have been turned into nothing. The supply chain is broken, orders are delayed or cancelled, and many business owners are facing bankruptcy.
The insurance industry is also under great pressure. The claim amounts are soaring like astronomical figures. A report by the international rating agency Moody’s shows that the claim amounts caused by wildfires in California in recent years have exceeded $1.5 billion and are on the rise. To cope with the risks, insurance companies have to take measures such as raising insurance premiums, modifying underwriting standards, and even refusing to renew policies. This further increases the burden on residents and enterprises, forming a vicious cycle and making the road to economic recovery in California full of thorns.
According to a report by Newsweek on the 8th, State Farm, one of the large insurance companies in the United States, canceled the home insurance of hundreds of residents in the “Pacific Bluffs” community that is now affected by wildfires last year.
The report shows that in view of the frequent wildfires and the increasingly severe disaster situation in California, especially in high – risk areas, State Farm terminated the home insurance service for residents of “Pacific Bluffs” on the grounds of avoiding “financial losses”. However, at present, wildfires are raging in many places in Southern California, and many residents urgently need insurance support to restart their lives.
In the past three years, several private insurance companies have successively withdrawn from the home insurance market in high – risk areas of California. A large number of people can only rely on the state government’s “Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan” (FAIR Plan) for protection. Data shows that from 2020 to 2024, the number of insurance cases in California participating in this plan has doubled, with a total of 452,000 cases.
In April 2024, State Farm announced that it would revoke 72,000 home insurance policies and 30,000 apartment – use home insurance policies in California. Statistical data reveals that among the customers whose insurance was cancelled this time, 1,600 households are located in the “Pacific Bluffs” community. As early as 2023, State Farm had announced that it would no longer accept new home insurance customers in California.
Denise Hardin, the president and CEO of State Farm, wrote to Ricardo Lara, the Commissioner of Insurance of California in March 2024, explaining that refusing to provide home insurance for high – risk areas is a helpless move but a necessary decision to ensure the long – term development of the company. After all, simply raising premiums is no longer enough to maintain the company’s financial stability.
Without the support of insurance, it seems like an impossible dream for tens of thousands of residents who have lost their houses, cars and other properties due to the disaster to rebuild their homes. What awaits them is displacement and bankruptcy.
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