WILDEFIRESA Disaster Expert Explains Why the L.A. Fires Have Been So Catastrophic
As we’re seeing more and more disaster events, it raises questions about risk and whether insurers are going to keep insuring homes in the long run. Increasingly, it seems the answer is no.
The ongoing wildfires in L.A. are among the most destructive and terrifying disasters to ever hit the city. As of the time of publication, five people have died, 27,000 acres have burned and at least 130,000 people are under evacuation orders. And the scope of the tragedy is just coming into focus.
We asked Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and an associate professor of professional practice in climate at the Columbia Climate School, about the connection to climate change, why these fires have been so devastating and what can be done about wildfires going forward.
Why have the L.A. fires spread so fast and so ferociously?
There are a few factors at play here, but one of the biggest is that you have prolonged dry spells and low humidity, the things that drive wildfire danger to begin with. It tends to be more pronounced this time of year in California, especially when there’s been very little rainfall. And then you have the Santa Ana winds coming from the desert—very, very high winds, as much as 100 miles per hour. Once you get a spark, those things just blow.
There are some unique features in the L.A. fires as well. You have very densely populated areas and forested areas and very hilly areas. As heat rises with the winds, you have the very dry fuel that burns on an upward slope and moves quickly up the hillsides.
Is climate change playing a role here?
In general, wildfires are something where we do see a clearer signal for the impacts of climate change. It’s pretty well established that we’re seeing increases in the frequency of wildfires, and that’s driven by an increase in droughts and a lot of other factors. There have been numerous studies in Europe, in the US and elsewhere that show there’s that influence [from climate change], and we would expect that influence to grow.
Why are these areas of L.A. that are burning so vulnerable to wildfire?
Back in the day when these homes were being built, they were little bungalows that were developed and maybe bought on the cheap by actors working in Hollywood in the 20th century. And now they’re sought after properties. They are very expensive. Everybody wants to live there, but the infrastructure was never built for that many people.
