Californian Summer Up In Smoke

BY ZAHRA TSHAI ‘22

Sweat, barbecues, and laughter are the hallmark activities of summer; however, this year, the usual went up in smoke. With over 14,000 lightning strikes hitting California and a historic heatwave, Californians have been launched into the deadliest fire season yet. Cal Fire reports over 3,627,010 acres have burned, with fire season just starting to hit its peak. Fire season in California typically runs from July to October, with September and October being the most dangerous months, but with climate change rapidly getting worse, the season is getting longer and having more devastating effects. 

In addition to climate change’s making conditions worse, COVID-19 has devastated the fire relief program. California’s fire relief program relies heavily on volunteer firefighters. According to Fortune, over 40% of the firefighters are non-violent prisoners working for $2 an hour and receiving no benefits. Months before the fires started, Governor Gavin Newsom elected to release over 8,000 prisoners as the pandemic was ravaging the prison population. The majority of those prisoners accounted for the volunteer firefighting force. As the fires burned, firefighters were severely reduced in numbers. 

Furthermore, Californians are facing statewide rolling blackouts as PG&E, the major power provider, scrambles to reduce any potential fires. These rolling blackouts heighten food insecurity, as people are not able to keep perishables such as meat, and affect students’ academic performance and feelings of control. With California already being the state with the highest number of COVID-19 cases, feelings of despair have become more deeply entrenched. 

Although the Bay Area has made international headlines with images of an orange sky this past week, the air quality has cleared up. However, the mental toll on teens already living in a pandemic is clear. Recalling the past week, Emma Tung ‘22 said, “I felt like I was trapped because we were not allowed outside to exercise or just in general. Additionally, I was feeling super stressed and scared because the fires were near me.” While the air quality in the Bay Area is no longer extremely hazardous and the sky has returned to a normal color, the effects are long-lasting. With fire season just hitting its peak, the devastation is far from over.