Imagine waking up to a sky painted orange and red, the air thick with smoke, and the constant hum of helicopters overhead. This has become a reality for thousands of Californians over the past week as the California wildfires rage on, leaving behind a trail of uncertainty and destruction.
Wildfires in California are not uncommon; however, these wildfires have been incredibly damaging and have destroyed many people’s homes as well as iconic landmarks; the high school where the film “Carrie” was filmed; the historic home of Will Rogers (an American actor), and a motel owned by William Randolph Hearst (an American newspaper publisher) have all burned down as a result of these devastating fires.
The first wildfires of 2025 were the Oak and Border fires, which occurred on January 1. These fires have been 100% contained, as have the fires of Lidia, Sunset, Woodley, Olivias, Tyler, Kenneth, and Archer. However, as of January 13, the Palisades fire, Eaton fire, and Hurst fire are still not completely contained and continue to destroy the land they cover. The Palisades fire has caused the most destruction, covering 23,713 acres, and is only 14% contained.
“What we’re seeing in California right now is more destructive, larger fires burning at rates that we have historically never seen,” Jonathan Cox, a California firefighter, expressed to CNN. The uncertainty and destructive nature of these fires have caused evacuation orders to be enforced for around 92,000 people.
While the cause of the California wildfires is still under investigation, some experts believe that the extreme drought conditions preceded by heavy rain have made the plants extremely dry and flammable. These circumstances, combined with the supersized 100 mph Santa Ana winds (dry, powerful winds that blow down the mountains toward the coast of California), have made the flames spread even quicker.
Global warming was also not a direct cause of the California wildfires; however, global warming has immensely increased the intensity of these wildfires. This then leads to the question: what can we do to prevent such disasters from occurring in the future?
Many preventative measures can be implemented to avert such intense disasters from occurring in the future. To begin, saving energy by showering with cooler water, unplugging devices once done with them, and turning off lights are simple but effective methods to reduce the risk of wildfires across the country, especially in wildfire-prone locations.
Eating more plant-based food is one way to prevent climate change because processed foods must be grown, processed, transported, distributed, prepared, consumed, and sometimes disposed of. These steps create greenhouse gas emissions that trap the sun’s heat and lead to global warming. Reducing, reusing, and recycling is another way to hinder global warming by lessening the amount of trash going to landfills.
The California wildfires are nothing short of devastating; however, there are steps we can take to counteract the suspected causes.
