West Coast Fires: Climate, Forest Management, Lax Rules, Plenty Of Blame To Go Around

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To be clear: climate change plays a central role in the alarming scale and severity of the West Coast wildfires. But it's not the only reason we're seeing such deadly and destructive blazes. Here are some of the other factors at play.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Craig Newell carries hose while battling the North Complex Fire in Plumas National Forest, Calif., on Monday.Cal Fire Battalion Chief Craig Newell carries hose while battling the North Complex Fire in Plumas National Forest, Calif., on Monday.It's no surprise in an already polarized country that debate over what's causing the wildfires ravaging the West Coast would get partisan, especially with this being an election year.

And we've gotten really good at this. Every year, firefighters knock down thousands of new fire starts. It's just the handful that have gotten away this year that are currently in the news. Critics who say the government isn't doing enough to actively manage the nation's forests have a point. But a lot of it comes down to funding. If you're spending most of your resources every year trying to stop fires from burning into neighborhoods and even whole cities, there's not going to be much money left over for the kinds of projects that might actually help mitigate their severity in the future.

In the West, there's been an explosion of development in recent years into high risk forests that are now even more vulnerable to burning, especially with climate change. In some parts of California in particular, people are moving into these high-risk areas because it's the only place they can afford. Regardless, scientists are now finding that these new subdivisions and whole towns are actually becoming the fuel to increase the severity and intensity of these fires.

 

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I don’t need statements about how I must think something with your clarity. Your my public news. I want facts and get to my own opinions. While I may agree your not clear as its seductive reasoning and does have probability of error. Can you not just news please

There will ALWAYS be fires caused bu humans or nature but proper forest management significantly reduces the enormity we now experience.

Since western states /fed govt arent controlling forests, why not lease/ 'allow bids' from Weyerhaeuser etc to do so? They would clear trees where necessary, sell the lumber and replant to maintain. fires2020

I think THAT is the big problem. Developers that are friends with local politicians get building permits to develop. Pols see more taxes. Both can build empires.

Wrong again

'...climate change plays a central role in the alarming scale and severity of the West Coast wildfires.' - Where is your proof of this, NPR? For heaven's sake, the climate has been changing since the earth was first formed. Get a clue.

There is no scientific proof for that piece of editorialization.

fires2020 BobcatFire local1014 LACountyFire1 arcadia SanMarinoPatch sanmarino westfield On Hungtington Drive

You forgot numerous arrests and evidence of arson, daily.

Climate change is real. Everyone knows it. The Republicans pretend it isn't real. The MORON can't read at a high enough level to understand it, so he makes something up in his head.......There is no federal government now, just a private enterprise of a madman.

Arsonists started the Australian wildfires earlier this year too...

Other factors like arson....

Make a pie chart and show us the percentage breakdown of attributing factors to these fires.

So, the .03 degree rise in average temperatures this year is causing all these fires? Hm.

To be clear: No it doesnt lol. Please read Apocolypse Never by Michael Shollenberger. All of this alarmism is politically motivated propaganda to control weak minded people.

Its definitely somewhere in the middle. For everyone saying arsonists. Arson, pyrotechnics, lighting, are sources of ignition. Forest management and Climate change as discussed are what are making fires burn faster, hotter, and longer regardless of the original source of ignition

I thought this article was interesting as well.

The vast majority of forests are under our defunct federal jurisdiction.

I'm sure ANTIFA Molotov cocktails were to blame as well. STOP

Kirk Siegler does an almost unbiased report on our W. Coast fires-NPR will probably fire him soon 4 this indiscretion & being mature/educated-No real mention of the increase N arson-some other points, but it's a decent article-Coming from socialist/Dem NPR these days is shocking

To be clear: defund NPR now!

I understand many want to blame US policies for west coast fires but.. sorry 😐 people can’t control the climate (no matter how liberal they are) Although people can control responsible forestry as well as not purposely setting fires 🔥

Wildfires in the West are arson fires set by Trump supporters hoping to either kill or intimidate Biden voters.

arsonist. lots of them. not all the fired from them but alot

climate change has nothing to do with these fires. These fires are not nearly as extensive as those that occurred before the arrival of the Spanish.

Arson Anyone

How about all of the arsonists that keep getting arrested?

'He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire' Psalms 104:4

Climate change is the name of 4 multi-offending arsonists. Natural occurring forest fires. Years of wacko untrained 'save the trees' environmentalist horrible forest management. Plays a roll. Horrible water management. A dry spell and not taking counter measures knowing a-d.

A necessary clarification: The 'forest' management needed is really 'fuels' management and rarely involves commercially viable timber harvest. Republicans like to say 'forest' management because their voters believe that means harvest. They rarely fund actual fuels management.

Arson:

you wont convince any of the 'two things can't be true at the same time' crowd with this kind of smart analysis

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Biden blasts 'climate arsonist' Trump in speech about West Coast firesAsked whether he had confidence that all votes would be counted in the November election, Joe Biden says he's 'confident that the America public's going to insist on it.' The comments came as he voted early in Delaware's primary. Lol The man doesn’t even have confidence in the fact of where he is at any given time. Or what his voting history is.
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Biden blasts 'climate arsonist' Trump in speech about West Coast firesAs the devastation from the wildfires raging across the western United States continues into its second week, former Vice President Joe Biden delivered a speech Monday in Wilmington, Delaware, centered around his plans to combat the growing threat of climate change and its contributions to worsening How many videos do you want showing the 17 antifa people setting fires in Cali ? That were finally arrested! Interesting how global warming stops at the Canadian border He needs to hire new people to write his speeches they’re missing the facts as new info comes out about how some of those fires began and where the ca govt dropped the ball.
Source: YahooNews - 🏆 380. / 59 Read more »

Biden to address West Coast fires, need to confront growing threat of climate change'None of this is happening in a vacuum.' Joe Biden links climate change with the pandemic: 'Recent studies showed air pollution is linked with increased risk of death from COVID-19. Our economy can't recover if it can't build back.' He is so full of BS . Biden and Obama did NOTHING for America in 8 years . I don’t believe a word he says . He is reading from a teleprompter. He is a puppet . How many times have you said Trumps name. 40 and counting. Biden sucks plain and simple 🤡
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