Los Angeles fires. On how the damage could have been reduced

The Los Angeles fires – a topic that hasn’t left the headlines since January 7 – continue to attract attention as the fire continues to consume hundreds of thousands of acres of California land. Shocking, drama-laden headlines report the causes of the catastrophic scope of the destruction, pointing to winds of up to 160 mph spreading the fire over vast areas, and a prolonged drought, the effects of which have become the perfect breeding ground for it.

Amid these apocalyptic reports, there are also criticisms – remarks about the lack of adequate preparation of services, the ineptitude of the emergency staff, the lack of investment in fireproofing materials or the aging water supply infrastructure. This network, some note, is after all the same one that residents use on a daily basis. One of the questions that more than just journalists are asking is why the richest neighborhoods, like Pacific Palisades, famous for its luxury residences, were nearly razed to the ground after being at the center of this disaster.

The answer to this question in each of my articles is the same, almost unbelievable in its simplicity and eloquence – no one has thought about water. No one has thought about protecting these areas through water, no one has thought about restoring natural ecosystems that could minimize the effects of fires. Moreover, no one has considered the possibility of using seawater for firefighting, even though the majestic view of the Pacific Ocean is a daily occurrence for residents of the City of Angels. Horror and disbelief overwhelm me every time I see such omissions in urban planning and emergency preparations.

Dr. Andrew Czech, in a comment on social media, posted a photo showing a green and blue oasis that was created among the forests destroyed by the 2021 Oregon fire. And who was responsible for saving the area? I can assure you it wasn’t man. It was done by beavers. It was they who cleverly and effectively irrigated the area, creating a floodplain. And as the author of the post commented – the water doesn’t burn!

So why, in Los Angeles, where the residents have vast assets, has water not been used to protect against fire? With direct access to the ocean, why didn’t they think of systems that could effectively reduce losses in the event of a fire outbreak? If one were to ask this on popular news portals, the answers are unequivocal: salt water destroys fire equipment and it is then unsuitable for use in firefighting operations.

And who mentions the use of salt water at all? Of course, its direct use in firefighting can be ruled out, but why not use desalination technology? As Barcelona grapples with its water crisis, it is launching a huge manufacturing plant and thus coping with the lack of potable water. So, with such developed, precious land on the oceanfront in Los Angeles, wouldn’t it be possible to make similar use of water?

Of course, it is important to realize that desalination is not an environmentally ideal solution, but I believe that in emergency situations it can be one of the primary ones. Although, counterintuitively, it is not the only way to deal with water shortages in Los Angeles. Rainwater management is what the city government should prioritize. Although rainfall in LA is not one of the frequent ones, when it does rain, rainwater is able to significantly support water management systems. Unfortunately, the city is not taking advantage of such solutions.

Rainwater is not collected in a systematic way, and the lack of appropriate regulations means that this problem remains unsolved. There are also no areas set aside for restoration or for the creation of green-blue infrastructure, which makes these solutions become mere ideas that have been dying to be implemented for years. After all, why think about water when the cataclysm is not yet looming?

In addition to press reports, the first major summaries of developments in California have already appeared. One of them is a report published by Next 10 and the UC Berkeley Center for Community Innovation, Rebuilding for a Resilient Recovery: Planning in California’s Wildland Urban Interface. It includes possible scenarios for rebuilding blighted areas, while pointing out their implications in terms of soaring costs and negative impacts on housing availability amid the ongoing crisis. In contrast, AccuWeather’s latest estimates put total economic losses from the Southern California fires at between $250 billion and $275 billion. The fires have led to the deaths of at least 27 people and the destruction of more than 12,000. buildings.

What else needs to happen for our species to start appreciating the most precious resource on Earth? Not only to recognize its value in the face of crisis, but also to understand how important its presence is in our everyday life. I don’t need a swimming pool, but water in the landscape; not an evenly trimmed lawn, but biodiversity; not a straightened sewer, but a naturally meandering river. This should be our need, although we all realize that reality is closely linked to the economic use of space.

Nevertheless, how many areas need a completely different approach to management? How many areas could perform ecosystem functions, becoming our natural protection against the elements – droughts, fires, floods? When I commented on what happened in California, I heard: After all, it’s impossible… Of course it’s possible! Since we are exploring the cosmos, why can’t we apply simple solutions here on Earth? But before this can happen, it has to happen in our heads.

For more on the Los Angeles fires, see the article: California fires – element consumes thousands of acres.

pic. main: LAFD Photo | Harry Garvin