LA Wildfires: An Avoidable Tragedy
That the acreage burned is increasing even as the number of wildfires has decreased is not the result of climate change. Rather, it is the combined result of efforts to suppress wildfires and environmentalists demands to leave forests undisturbed. California s Mediterranean climate, with its historically wet winters followed by months of dry conditions, heightens the likelihood of wildfires. But instead of removing dead and diseased trees and undergrowth, the state, following environmentalist restrictions, has allowed that natural fuel to build up, creating the conditions for explosive wildfires. Land-use restrictions have also forced development nearer wildfire-prone areas, worsening the damage and loss of life.
A 2022 state audit and report found that California electric utilities efforts to reduce wildfires were inadequate, and that the state s Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety had approved seriously deficient wildfire prevention plans. The utilities, including Southern California Edison, which serves the region around Los Angeles, have been burying their transmission and distribution systems underground, but the costs of doing so far exceed those associated with tree-trimming near power lines.
As with its singular focus on green energy, California s wildfire prevention efforts have been costly and impractical, with tragic results. Whether sparked by fireworks, powerlines, lightning, or arson, the conflagrations devastating Los Angeles are just the latest result of decades of ill-conceived policies.
Jonathan Lesser.
I don’t expect things will change much, except perhaps what we expect of government. But maybe I’m wrong. I hope so.