Wildfires have engulfed much of Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades area and nearby areas, killing at least five people. As is their wont, the media blamed the raging fires on climate change. [emphasis, links added]
Scientists such as fire expert Jennifer Balch attribute the warming partly to the jet stream sloping farther south than usual.
A spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said: “Climate change, including rising temperatures, continued droughts and dry air, are key factors increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States.”
But U.S. Geological Survey scientist Jon Keeley says that's not the case.
Keeley has been studying the connection between various climate conditions and fires for the past four decades.
“I don't think these fires are a result of climate change,” he told Michael Schellenberg. “You can certainly have these events happen without climate change.”
Keeley correctly points out that the conditions that cause such fires have existed in this part of California for thousands of years.
He said there are many Januarys that are very dry and other Januarys that have Santa Ana winds.
The only difference, he said, is the dramatic increase in Southern California's population over the past century.
A 2017 study by Keeley and a group of scientists concluded: Similar situations have occurred many times in the past.
“We looked at climate and fire history across the state,” Keeley said. “In much of the state, especially in the western half of the state, We did not see any relationship between past climate and the area burned in any given year.“
— Rothmus 🏴 (@Rothmus) January 9, 2025
The team of scientists studied 37 climate regions in the United States.
Another scientist, Daniel Swain, agreed with Keeley, saying “There is no definite link” between such fires and climate change. Fire Chief David Acuna noted 95% of wildfires in the region are started by humans.
Drought and Santa Ana winds fueled these bushfires, which have been called the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history.
So far, they have burned more than 42 square miles, an area as large as the city of San Francisco. More than 130,000 people were ordered to evacuate their homes.
At least 1,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged. More than a million people were without power. Losses are estimated to have exceeded $57 billion.
This unfortunate series of events will long be remembered in California history. But the conditions that fuel such fires have long existed. The only difference is that this time, there are people in the way.
Top image from TikTok/Libs by X
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