As a part of
the health of plant life in the western plains, fire is essential to re-fertilization
of the soil after a successful growing season. Though these fires may be so
important, they are often assumed to be caused unnaturally and can be very
dangerous to many hikers, campers and residents in the immediate area. In the
report for how a recent fire near Los Angeles, California was started; “a U.S.
Forest Service official reported the fire began when a car caught fire.” In
this case on Labor Day weekend, “about 50 residents and 1,000 campers were
evacuated.”
The problem
with these fires is mainly the damage they cause to nearby homes, structures
and people. “The brush, composed mostly of chaparral, [a dense growth of shrubs
and/or small trees], is very thick in some areas.” This along with “low humidity and high
temperatures,” and “the fire [is] more difficult [because of] steep and rugged
terrain,” shows good reason to why people should fear for their lives and
property. Though these fires are dangerous, with proper planning and reaction
to emergency, major risk can be averted.
Once I saw that
the fire was near Los Angeles, I immediately worried for my family who lives in
LA and often camps near the affected area. Needless to say, the ash will likely
fall like snow over a major portion of LA, which can greatly have an effect on
the air quality of the area. “I know we have some neighbors [in Camp Williams,
one of the evacuated areas], that didn’t leave, we’re really worried about
them.” From this statement by Toni Kova, a resident of the area, we can infer
that these fires are in fact something to be feared.
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