Wildfires in California

By Alex, Milan, Diana, Christian S, Christian H and Finja

Source picture:
Wildfires And Hurricanes Force Closures
And HOS Suspensions -
TruckersReport.com
 Wildfires in California
By Alex, Milan, Diana, Christian S, Christian H and Finja

Source picture:
Wildfires And Hurricanes Force Closures
And HOS Suspensions -
TruckersReport.com
 Contents
• What are wildfires?
• The wildfire seasons
• Causes of Wildfires
• Effects of wildfire (on nature and
human life)
• Well known wildfires
• Responses to wildfire

Source picture:
Can We Use Nature to Mitigate Wildfire Risk? – BRINK –
Conversations and Insights on Global Business
 What are Wildfires?

• Burn out of control

• Consume vegetation (grass, bushes, trees, as well as structures)
• Behave differently depending on how they started (the fuel, the
weather, and the topography of the geographical area)

Source picture: Wildfires Are

Intensifying. Here’s Why, and What Can
Be Done. - The New York Times
 Different types of
wildfires:
Ground fires
• Can occur in areas with large accumulations
of dead plants (e.g. humus and peat)
• Move slowly beneath the suface terraun
(difficult to see from above)
• If enough dry fuel is available, ground fires
can be extremely difficult to put out
• Can continue to smolder underground during
winter and can reignite again in spring
(-> more likely to happen during a long period
of drought)
Source picture: What Are The
Differences Between A
Ground Fire And A Surface
Fire? - WorldAtlas
 Source picture: Prescribed, low-severity surface fire carried by
needles, cones, dried... | Download Scientific Diagram

Surface Fires
- the easiest to put out
- burn detritus (Geröll) such as litter, twigs
(Zweige), and leaves laying on the ground.
- can also consume surface vegetation (shrubs,
grasses)
Crown Fires
- burn in the tree canopy
- most dangerous type of wildfire
- burn extremely hot
- spreads rapidly through connected branches
of trees
Source picture: Wildland
fire behaviour | ontario.ca
 The wildfire seasons

Source picture:
Wildfire Wallpapers - 4k, HD Wildfire
Backgrounds on WallpaperBat
Source picture:
https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/CA-
monthly-fires-2008-2019.jpg?
v=at&w=1280&h=720
Source picture:
https://assets.science.nasa.gov/
dynamicimage/assets/science/esd/
climate/internal_resources/details/
original/
562_changeinfireseason_noborder_
740_60.jpg?w=740
Source
picture:
https://emlab.
ucsb.edu/sites
/default/files/
documents/wi
ldfire-brief.pdf
 Causes of wildfires
Source picture:
Amazing photos from
California's wildfire season
 Causes of wildfires

Source picture:
Amazing photos from
California's wildfire season
 Natural causes:
1. Lightning:
• cold lightning (brief, strong electrical currents)
• hot lightning (slower currents which last longer —> often causing
bigger fires)

2. Falling rocks:
• can develop sparks

Source picture:
Lightning sparking more boreal forest fires –
Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
Human Causes

damaged unattended
electricity lines campfires

discarded arson
Source picture:
cigarettes An unattended campfire smoldering in a forest
clearing created with generative ai | Premium AI-
generated image
Climate causes
1. Dry vegetation and drought:
• summer: very dry with no precipitation
• winter: suddenly heavy rain which sometimes leaves damage (flooding)
• meanwhile winter is untypical dry
2. Winds:
• strong winds —> Santa Ana winds (south of California) —> Diablo winds (north of California)
3. Climate change:
• rising temperatures
• fewer precipitation —> long lasting droughts
• unpredictable weather (—> create a all-year-round fire risk)
• global warming boost wildfires
Source picture:
What is California Building Code For A Fire-
Resistant House?S3DA Design
 Effects of wildfire:

Source picture: Forest Fire 4k Wallpaper,HD

Nature Wallpapers,4k
Wallpapers,Images,Backgrounds,Photos and
Pictures
 Effects of wildfire on nature
• Have a big impact on ecosystems
• Can change landscapes and affect the environment in many ways
• Affect stability and biodiversity of the ecosystem
• Large areas are cleared off vegetation
• Many animals, birds, reptiles, and insects burn to death

Source picture: What Are The Effects Of

A Wildfire? - WorldAtlas
 Destruction of Vegetation:
• Vegetation loss is a big part of wildfire damage
• takes over 100 years for large trees to grow back
• complete elimination of forest canopy
the upper layer of the forest
effects of this on the other layers of the forest
 soil scorching that prevents root regeneration
makes the soil weaker
 potential transition from forestland to scrubland

Source picture: Sorting out the 2020

wildfires and their effect on wild
places • CALWILD
Source picture:
7 Burning Questions: Wildfires & Public Lands
 Effects on soil:
• Soil is left exposed as vegetation due to wildfires
areas take a long time to recover
• change soil chemistry
• change nutrients
how they move around
how they are available
rapid release of locked nutrients
Source picture: Download
Silhouettes of wild animals at
forest fire for free
 Change of water quality
 More sediment in rivers and streams
 Toxic materials and more chemicals can get into water sources
 From burned and melted infrastructure (batteries, pipes, other plastics)

High Levels Of Air pollution

• Smoke and ash released during fires can pollute the atmosphere with toxic gasses
and particles.
• Common health issues experienced by people living in areas near the fire are:
Breathing problems, respiratory infections, headaches, dizziness, eye irritation,
etc.

Source picture: Smoke from

Canada fires reaches Greece |
eKathimerini.com
 Effects on human life:

• Loss of Lifes and homes:

Because they do not evacuate in
time
The deadliest wildfires have
accounted for over 1,000 lives lost

Source picture: Ready for

Wildfires: 5 Steps to Prepare
your Family and Home – Red
Cross Central California Blog
 POSITIV EFFECT: offers chance for growth
 wildfires clear the forest floor and remove surface litter and debris
converting them into nutrients
 Animals colonize the burnt area
 many insects benefit from fires that kill predators, expose soils and
provide nutrients
 Burns away diseased organic matter

Source picture: This one fact will

completely change how you think
about California wildfires
 Well known wildfires

Source picture: Wildfire

nightmare captured in
harrowing image of California
burning | New Scientist
Source picture:
https://en.wikipedia.or
g/wiki/Mendocino_Com
plex_Fire#/maplink/0
Source picture:
https://fsapps.nwcg.gov/afm/
data/fireptdata/modisfire_20
18_conus_last7.htm
Source picture:
San Francisco blanketed in smoke as California fires
rage | MPR News
 August Complex Fires
Source picture:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_
Complex_fire#/map/0
Source picture:
Photos: The Woolsey Fire Leaves Devastation
in Malibu, California - The Atlantic
Source picture:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/January_2025_South
ern_California_wildfires#/
map/0
 Eaton fire

Source picture:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/January_2025_South
ern_California_wildfires#/
map/0
 Palisades fire

Eaton fire

Source picture:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/January_2025_South
ern_California_wildfires#/
map/0
Source picture:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/calfire/54254471791/
Source picture:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/calfire/54254471791/
 Responses to
wildfires:

Source picture: 7 Burning Questions: Wildfires &

Public Lands
 1. Firefighting Efforts
• Thousands of firefighters
• 400 national guard members
• Aerial water drops (planes/ helicopters)
• Fire retardants used to stop spread
• prescribed fires -> gives trees space,
slows down the spread of wildfires
2. Evacuations and public safety
• Residents are being evacuated by: local
police, national guards, federal agencies
(FEMA, USFS)
• Emergency shelters are being set up
• Curfews are being set (to prevent looting)

Source picture:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ca
nadair_CL-415#/media/File%3AI-
DPCN_at_work_03_(cropped).jpg
3. Power shutoffs
• Utility companies apply puplic safety power shutoffs
-> to reduce risks of fire
4. Government and community action
• Gavin Newsom (Governor of California) can declare state of
emergency
-> additional recources are dropped to the affected area
• Community organisationsare being created to provide
additional aid
 5. What can humans change about their
behaviours?
• Build campfires in an open flat area,
away from flammables and
extinguish
• Stubbing out cigarette buds and
keeping them away from dry grass
• Keeping combustion engines off dry
grass
• Never leave fires unattended
espacially in windy weather

Source picture:
https://rjourney.com/blog/how-to-build-
a-perfect-campfire-rjourney/
Sources
• https://wfca.com/wildfire-articles/types-of-wildfire/
• https://www.coastal.ca.gov/fire/ucsbfire.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildfire
• https://wfca.com/wildfire-articles/california-fire-season-in-depth-guide/
• https://earth.org/3-facts-about-californias-climate-that-explain-the-la-fires/#:~:text=The%20average%20wildfire
%20season%20in,to%20non-profit%20Climate%20Central
• https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/08/us/maps-visuals-los-angeles-wildfires-dg/index.html
• https://emlab.ucsb.edu/sites/default/files/documents/wildfire-brief.pdf
• https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-change-increased-the-likelihood-of-wildfire-disaster-in-highly-exposed-
los-angeles-area/#:~:text=Wildfires%20are%20typically%20largest%20from,the%20Santa%20Ana%20windy%20season
• https://science.nasa.gov/earth/climate-change/study-fire-seasons-getting-longer-more-frequent/
• https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/resources/teachable-moment/the-science-of-wildfires/
• Internet - https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/wildfires-climate-change-
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_California_wildfires-
• https://gewi-im-unterricht.de/unterrichtsimpuls-verheerende-waldbraende-in-kalifornien-eine-folge-des klimawandels/ -
• https://wfca.com/wildfire-articles/types-of-wildfire/-
• https://www.coastal.ca.gov/fire/ucsbfire.htm
• Unraveling the Environmental Impact of Wildfires
• Wildfires in California: Causes, Effects, and Responses - Internet Geography
• Climate change: What role is it playing in the California fires
• What Are The Effects Of A Wildfire? - WorldAtlas
• https://www.fire.ca.gov
• "2018 National Large Incident Year-to-Date Report" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center
• https://web.archive.org/web/20210115134922/https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/4jandlhh/top20_acres.pdf
• https://www.flickr.com/photos/calfire/
• https://www.usfa.fema.gov/wui/outreach/wildfire-evacuation.html#:~:text=Planning%20for%20roadway%20safety%20during%20wildfire
%20evacuations%201,culverts%20constructed%20of%20materials%20that%20will%20not%20melt.
• https://www.cdc.gov/wildfires/safety/index.html#:~:text=Be%20prepared%20for%20wildfires%201%20Know%20your%20community
%27s,you%20can%20close%20off%20from%20outside%20air.%20
• https://www.cdc.gov/wildfires/safety/index.html#:~:text=Be%20prepared%20for%20wildfires%201%20Know%20your%20community
%27s,you%20can%20close%20off%20from%20outside%20air.%20
 Thank you for
listening

Source picture: More damage anticipated

as California fire season sets records |
Daily Sabah
Quiz
 How much longer is the
average wildfire season
nowadays compared to 1970?
 How much longer is the
average wildfire season
nowadays compared to 1970?

3.5 months
Which winds play a
big role in california
wildfires?
Which winds play a
big role in california
wildfires?

Santa Ana Winds

and Diablo Winds
Approcimately how many
football fields did the
mendocino complex fires
burn?
Approcimately how many
football fields did the
mendocino complex fires
burn?

250k
What type if wildfire is the
most dangerous one?
What type if wildfire is the
most dangerous one?

Crown Fire
What could the forestland
potentially turn into
because of wildfires?
What could the forestland
potentially turn into
because of wildfires?

Scrubland
 Why do firefighters
make prescribed fires?
 Why do firefighters
make prescribed fires?

To give trees space and

slows down the spread
of wildfires