West Coast fires: Why are they increasing? How will they affect Ohio?

By Harold Lane

In the past few decades, America's west coast has faced many more wildfires than in years before. Is climate change affecting the west coast or are these just random events? Will they increase over time and how might this affect Ohio?

Over the past few decades, there has been a trend of wildfires during this time of year. This has happened in 2015, 2017, and 2018. However this year, 2020, there have been wildfires worse than any year before. This year alone over five million acres have burned in California Oregon and Washington.

But what is causing these fires? Geoffery Dabelko, a professor at Ohio University says, “Climate change impacts are absolutely a factor in the severity, timing, and extent of the fires. Higher temperatures, less moisture in the ground, and the trees are critical climate related impacts.”

Climate change can cause air to turn into a sponge for moisture. If it's not at 100% humidity, it will soak up water from wildlife, soil, and lakes. This will turn entire forests into tinder for a forest fire. This plus a variety of human activities can turn into a deadly wildfire. The recent wildfires have been traced back to causes like gender reveal parties or lightning strikes.

These wildfires have a huge effect on the people living in these areas and even affect people living nowhere near the fires. These fires have destroyed residential areas leading to a displacement of people and forcing families to move elsewhere. They may not have the money and resources to pick up and move in a few days.

Electrical malfunctions have also been the cause of fires, so the power is being shut off in many to help stop new fires coming. Dabelko said, “Those power outages can be much more than an inconvenience, i.e. they disrupt economic activity. They adversely affect those who depend on steady electricity for medical equipment, etc. Some people have ways to cope, others such as the poor do not.”

These wildfires also cause major air pollution, which has reached levels that researchers consider dangerous for human health. Breathing in high concentrations of particulate pollution can worsen asthma and other respiratory problems in the short term, and can even lead to strokes or heart attacks.

However, how are these fires affecting Ohio? They’re not. However, climate change is and is becoming a major problem everywhere around the world. Ohio is mostly made up of farmland and many people make a living from farming and need a way to provide for themselves and their family. Climate change has been linked to an increase in flooding because of increased rainfall Over the last few decades, average annual precipitation in most of the Midwest has increased by 5% to 10%. But rainfall during the four wettest days of the year has increased by 35%. This is a problem for farmers who need crops to not be destroyed by heavy rainfall and floods and this problem will only get worse in the coming decade.

The west coast wildfires are a result of a slow but steady increase in climate change. These fires pollute the air and displace people and are becoming a yearly problem. Climate change affects all areas, including Ohio, leading to floods and increased rainfall. Climate change is a problem that is unavoidable and will continue to affect us for generations to come if nothing is done.