During the Paradise fires, even though I was about 150 miles away, the air was filled with smoke. Even though I remained indoors, I had bad asthma problems during this time and even a perfectly healthy adult couldn’t go outside for long without a mask. The smoke was so thick, it almost looked like fog. Ash was everywhere, coating the ground so it looked like a dusting of snow. My cousin, going to Chico State, had to evacuate and stay with us. School being cancelled made it all the more depressing. We could try to pretend it wasn’t too bad, but when school got canceled there was no denying the severity of the situation. Situations like this are happening more and more often. Instead of crossing their fingers, waiting for a phone call or the radio to announce school was canceled due to snow, kids are going to be hoping that the email doesn’t come and the fire isn’t that bad. The force behind this change in their world is climate change, the biggest problem we face today. Climate change has many devastating components, one of them being wildfires, and wildfires caused by climate change have devastating effects on health, wildlife, and poor communities.

Wildfires are the cause for serious health problems such as respiratory injury, anxiety, and depression. Truthout reporter Martha Baskin talks about how smoke particulates that are less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter can get deep inside the lungs, negatively impacting health. “People are impacted differently depending on their immune system and sensitivity. For children with developing lungs, people who exercise hard outdoors, and those with respiratory illness, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a single exposure can be lethal.” Something too small to see can have an extremely severe or lethal effect. People must be able to quickly adapt to these more commonly occurring fires. On a moment's notice, they need to minimize outdoor activities. People with respiratory issues or frequent exercisers and athletes must make major adjustments during wildfire smoke. While these wildfires affect physical health, they significantly affect mental health too. Rebecca Schimdt, a researcher at UC Davis, explains some common mental health problems wildfires carry. “The most commonly reported symptom even a year later was stress and anxiety,” she said. That included sleeplessness, headaches, difficulty concentrating and depression. People who have had their houses burned down by fires, or who have lost a big part of their community, have long-lasting mental health problems. A fire doesn't just last for the period of time the fire is burning; it has long-term effects, that affect people's everyday lives greatly.

Staying healthy and safe during wildfires is harder for some people than others. It is especially hard for people in poorer communities. In “The Climate Crisis Has Made Breathing Smoke Normal in Pacific Northwest” published by Truthout.org, firefighter and president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP in Eastern Washington, Kurtis Robinson says, “If you look at ‘air quality dynamics,’ the lack of access to resources is front and center for communities of color, impoverished and underserved communities.” Wealthier communities can get air filters and purifiers, which are very pricey. Even smoke masks may be hard to afford. When school is canceled due to smoke, wealthier communities may hire people to watch young kids while they are at work, but babysitters are expensive. Nature Conservancy scientist Phillip S. Levin explains to Truthout how Black, Latino and Native American communities are more vulnerable and in greater danger from fires. “Levin says metal roofs are often recommended for those that live in areas prone to wildfires, because they can withstand fire. However, he acknowledges that these aren’t an option for many homeowners or those who rent, because ‘if we don’t consider the social, economic and political context in which fires occur, then we won’t necessarily allocate our resources to the most vulnerable.’” This is one powerful example of the large inequality between communities. Renters are often unable to take precautions in order to stay safe during a wildfire. People may not be able to afford the tools and materials people in wealthier communities have to stay safe. Fires are already hard to deal with if you have resources. If you add having to think about money when you need materials, and having a home that’s more susceptible to wildfires, it has a tremendous impact on your life. Local governments and communities need to help these people in poorer communities by providing necessary materials and helping them make adjustments to stay safe during the wildfires. 

The sudden spike in wildfires is undoubtedly due to climate change. As temperatures rise, fire danger increases. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions reports on how temperature rise affects fire season and number of fires: “Research shows that changes in climate, especially earlier snowmelt due to warming in the spring and summer, have led to hot, dry conditions that boost this increase in fire activity in some areas. For much of the U.S. West, projections show that an average annual 1 degree Celsius temperature increase would increase the median burned area per year as much as 600 percent in some types of forests.” Just a 1° increase has a tremendous effect on wildfires. While governments need to help people get proper equipment to stay safe during a fire, the most impactful and important thing that should be done is curbing greenhouse gas emissions. We are reliant on forests to produce oxygen and absorb carbon, but they are being burned down. Along with our forests disappearing, we are emitting more Co2 than trees can absorb. The more trees burn, the more Co2 is released into the atmosphere, which results in more fires. We are killing our only source of oxygen in this domino effect. This can be clearly seen right now in Australia. The fires in Australia are worse than they have ever seen, and this is undoubtedly due to climate change. Australia is facing effects that are going to be extremely hard to recover from. Tara Lohan writes on Truthout.org on what Australia is facing: “Climate change is making Australia’s fire seasons longer and more severe. And fire frequency is also increasing in many areas of the country, making it harder for even fire-adapted species to bounce back from each successive event.” These species have survived countless fires and natural disasters in the past and have easily recovered, but now they’re suddenly facing extinction all due to one fire season. This is a clear example of climate change affecting wildfires and making them more severe.

Wildfires can cause potentially fatal or serious effects to human health and they are especially hard to deal with for poorer communities. Climate change exacerbates wildfires and all the consequences that go along with them. Climate change is the most serious problem we face today and the current action lawmakers are taking against it is laughable compared to the magnitude of the situation. In order to stop the fires, we need to stop climate change, and to do that, some serious measures need to be put in place. We’ve gotten to the point where we can’t just apply taxes (that's the stuff that should’ve been done decades ago). We need to enact some serious bans, invest large amounts in renewable energy, and even invest in research so we can begin to reverse what has happened. When Paradise was on fire, some kids, not thinking about what it meant, were actually excited that school had been cancelled. But soon enough, not a single person will be joyful. Those kids who were excited about school being cancelled won't have to think; they will be able to look out their window and see the horror in one way or another. School being cancelled will be devastating for everyone.