7/16/23

By Aditi Jha

There have been four wildfires in southern California this weekend. On Sunday, a lot of the state was put under excessive heat warnings. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports that largest wildfire, titled the Rabbit Fire, ignited Friday afternoon, has burned 7,600 acres since then. At least 152 structures are threatened by the wildfire. So far 10% has been contained but officials say that it will be fully contained by Wednesday. The other three fires (the Reche, Highland and Gavilian fires) are also being contained. Cal Fire Riverside County Fire Department Information Officer Captain Richard Cordova said on Saturday that "Those fires are pretty much wrapping up." Evacuation orders remain in place for the Gavilian fire, though they have been lifted for the Reche and Highland fires. So far in 2023, Cal Fire reports that over 3,030 wildfires have burned over 10,400 acres in just California. Meanwhile, Canada's record-setting, out-of-control wildfires have already burned 24 million acres and recently killed two firefighters, who died from injuries while trying to contain the fire. They seem to have originated from lightning strikes in May, and the extreme heat combined with parched ground has helped them spread. Climate change has also been lengthening and intensifying Canada's wildfire seasons. The increased heat has introduced invasive insects that cannot survive in the cold. Those insects infect the trees, weakening them and thus creating more kindling for fire. An energy and climate policy expert at Stanford University, Michael Wara, told The Washington Post that "The number of people that are exposed is unprecedented in the modern era." The Canadian wildfires are causing massive amounts of smoke to flood the Midwest, endangering cities such as Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Fargo and Chicago, and summer weather patterns show that we can expect the smoke to hang around for a while before it spreads out and diffuses. Along with smoke, there will be increased humidity and possible thunderstorms. Wara continued that "There could be some very smoky days ahead. This is the future, unfortunately." Being Minneapolis-based, there are some things that every Minnesotan should know about wildfire smoke and how to be safe. Wildfire smoke has lots of pollutants (toxic gases, particles and droplets that are created when the fires burn through other materials) that can cause coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, sinus/throat/eyes irritation and in severe cases, can cause heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and brain damage. It's probable that people with asthma will experience more negative effects, so if you have asthma, it's recommended to stay inside. When there are air quality warnings, it's advisable to not go outside and if you do, to wear a particulate respirator (you can know that it's a particulate respirator because it should say "NIOSH" and either "N95" or "P100" on it. There should also be two straps that go above and below your ears.) to effectively protect your lungs. The Washington Post says that masks only protect against particles, not chemicals, gases, or vapors, which is why the best thing to do when the air quality is low is to just stay inside. As for how long the wildfires are going to burn, they could burn all the way into November. The wildfires in Canada are nowhere near controlled, which is why it's extremely important to know safety measures against smoke, especially for people living in Minneapolis.

That's the news for today! Stay safe! Don't go outside too much!