Ineffective Leadership, Not Climate Change, Fuels California’s Wildfires in LA
The imagery from the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles is nothing short of apocalyptic. At this moment, over 2,000 homes, businesses, and other structures have been lost, and five lives have been claimed.
Firefighters have been grappling with, largely unsuccessfully, flames fanned by hurricane-force winds that have swept from Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica — affluent regions in western LA close to the Santa Monica Recreation Area — eastward to Eaton (near Pasadena) and beyond toward the Cattle Canyon Bridge, situated near the San Bernardino National Forest.
While the origins of the current fire remain undetermined, some commentators are making the familiar assertion that climate change is leading to an uptick in wildfires in California — a claim that lacks factual support.
Some state and local leaders even contend that the high winds alone sparked the wildfires.
This is inaccurate: Wind does not create sparks that ignite wildfires, although it can exacerbate them once they have ignited, as is happening in this case.
The most frequent causes of recent wildfires in the Golden State stem from human actions (including arson) and inadequately maintained power lines, such as those from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, which were responsible for the deadly 2018 Camp Fire that resulted in 85 fatalities.
Another probable factor: poor forest management.
Last April, Los Angeles County revealed its Community Forest Management Plan. This plan is replete with buzzwords about ensuring an “equitable tree canopy” and “environmental justice,” but it falls short in outlining actionable strategies to mitigate wildfire risk.
Despite some positive initiatives, such as those undertaken by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the recent wildfires underscore Governor Gavin Newsom’s ongoing failure to effectively manage this critical issue.
In 2019, Newsom issued an executive order allocating more than $1 billion toward wildfire prevention efforts. However, a 2021 investigation revealed that the governor had misled the public regarding the actual acreage of fuel-reduction projects completed in the state: only 11,399 acres instead of the 90,000 he claimed.
The inadequate water supply in fire hydrants and the failure to replenish reservoirs — a startling situation — has clearly hindered firefighting efforts.
One would expect the Los Angeles Fire Department to routinely verify adequate water supply, particularly when forecasts indicate Santa Ana winds.
Unfortunately, that assumption is incorrect. Such a fundamental task apparently was not prioritized by Fire Department leadership.
Instead, LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley acknowledged that the county and its 29 fire departments “are not prepared for this type of widespread disaster,” adding that “Mother Nature has been the star of the show.”
Various studies claim to “demonstrate” that wildfires are becoming more frequent and destructive. Yet, since 1987, the annual number of wildfires has actually decreased.
While the total acres burned have increased, this trend is distorted by the massive 4.5 million acres scorched in 2020 and 2.5 million acres in 2021. The burned acreage in 2022–2023 dropped to some of the lowest figures seen in the last 40 years. A longitudinal trendline indicates that the area burned by wildfires peaked in the 1920s.
Keep up with the NYP’s coverage on the alarming fires in the LA area
That the total burnt area is rising while the number of wildfires has dwindled is not attributable to climate change.
Instead, it results from a combination of wildfire suppression efforts and environmentalists’ push to leave forests undisturbed.
California’s Mediterranean climate, characterized by wet winters followed by dry months, increases the risk of wildfires. However, rather than eliminating dead and diseased trees and undergrowth, the state, constrained by environmentalist regulations, has allowed this natural fuel to accumulate, thereby creating conditions ripe for destructive wildfires.
Land-use regulations have also led to development closer to wildfire-prone areas, escalating both damage and loss of life.
A 2022 state audit revealed that California’s electric utilities’ wildfire mitigation efforts were inadequate, with the state’s Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety approving “seriously deficient” wildfire prevention strategies.
Utilities, including Southern California Edison, which serves the Los Angeles area, have been transitioning their transmission and distribution systems underground, but the costs significantly surpass those of tree-trimming near power lines.
California’s wildfire prevention strategies have proven to be both costly and impractical, with tragic outcomes. Whether ignited by fireworks, power lines, lightning, homeless encampments, or arson, the devastating fires plaguing Los Angeles represent the latest consequences of decades of misguided policies.
Jonathan Lesser is a senior fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics and president of Continental Economics, Inc. This article is adapted from City Journal.
