The California Wildfires
A disaster defying human control is an unstoppable monster. A monster that swept up California in July and lasted well into November. The wildfire, named The Mendocino Complex; took over 600,000 acres and required more than 13,000 firefighters to control. The Mendocino Complex happened to be one of the 17 fires that California simultaneously dealt with during the harsh fire season. In efforts to tame the fires, firefighters were deployed from surrounding states after California’s resources began to decline.
The fires instilled a feeling of isolation and fear among the state. Adrian Fernandez Baumann, the editor of the Mendocino Voice stated, “It killed people that were essentially asleep in bed. So people were shell shocked, people are on edge.” With having limited surrounding resources, residents affected by the fires were left with no guarantee on their survival of their homes.
I spoke to Ariella Mann, a Hall High senior and prospective college freshman at several California schools. Mann seemed uneasy when discussing the possibility of her experiencing a California wildfire season next year. When asked how she felt they past month’s tragedies she explained, “It’s awful hearing about how people have lost pets, homes, and even lives. I wish more could be done to help.” Mann also shared that wildfires weigh heavily on her college decisions.
You may ask why, as Connecticut residents, we should worry about what’s happening in California. Many blame the cause of the fire on global warming. Global warming alone persists as a controversial news topic of the year. These awful fires have drawn attention to the persistent issue of global warming nationally and globally. It’s important for the country to see the devastating effects of these fires and acknowledge that it’s time for a change.
