Let me tell you about the French Fire near me. No, not the French Riviera Wildfire, nor the French Fire on the Salmon River in Idaho, and not any of the other fires in past years with similar names, but right now about 150 miles north of Los Angeles near Bakersfield in Southern California. I know it’s only the fifth largest wildfire burning in California right now, but it’s on my mind, since I first saw it from my backyard on Thursday.
The wildfire was clearly visible from Lake Isabella, my small town of around 4000. Now we mostly see smoke, and the air is officially ‘unhealthy’ (AQI > 150). Every time I check, the size has increased, currently it’s at 11,300 acres and 5% contained. Lake Isabella Highlands has been evacuated and has lost structures, and the neighboring Wofford Heights is partly under evacuation warning with flames burning the outer edges.
The Kern River Valley is a pretty area just south of Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park, with big wilderness areas, golden trout, the Kern River with whitewater float trips, and Lake Isabella. I was up in the highlands this winter looking for a non-existent restaurant on Yelp, and the mostly retired community there has a beautiful view of the lake and mountains. This summer both the lake and the river are very low, due to extreme drought. Merle Haggard wrote and sang about the Kern River once or twice.
The forests are all exceptionally dry, and many of the trees are dead. And when I say ‘the forests’, I mean the forests of North America, from Mexico into Canada. Due to climate change, many species of trees are dying due to increased spread of disease and insects. Last year we lost 10% of the world’s Giant Sequoia redwood trees in wildfires just north of the current one, and another wildfire, Walkers, is also burning nearby, partly contained by previous damage. There have been so many wildfires around here that many locals are used to it. So, my local wildfire is part of the same fire system that’s burning Northern California, currently the top four wildfires in the state: Dixie 714,000 acres, Monument 145,000 acres, McFarland 116,000 acres, and the Caldor at 82,000 acres. And it’s also part of the same wildfires that burned in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado and other states, as well as the wildfires in British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada. And really, it’s part of the same climate crisis that’s causing wildfires in Southern Europe and in Siberia. And it’s just going to get worse.
Last night there was a community meeting (via Zoom), and the chat revealed some sad dynamics about how we (fail to) approach big problems. First of all, most of the state’s firefighters are up north fighting Dixie, the largest wildfire in state history, and the other major fires. Apparently, when the fire started, we had to beg for resources, especially since we’re only a Type 2 wildfire incident, and since our local wildfire response team was mostly disbanded due to budget cuts. The unified incident commanders apologized for the destructive fire, as if anyone could prevent them. Folks on the chat asked impossible questions like “when can I go home” and “which way is the fire going next”. Many asked for information about their specific neighborhoods, streets or houses. Some were interested in an old popular bar & grill and ski resort that are at risk, and a few repeatedly asked the same question about looters.
People are naturally concerned about themselves and their property, but a few revealed a complete disregard for others. People questioned why they needed to be evacuated, with some reportedly refusing, and one questioned why roads need to be blocked to all but emergency vehicles. After hearing about Red Cross and animal evacuation centers, a couple complained that the presentation was “too light”. Last month there was another wildfire a short distance to the south, but the wind was blowing it away from us, so many people here just ignored it. But when it’s in our own backyard, suddenly some folks are asking why the Governor isn’t sending in the National Guard.
The Яepublicans in this district complain about the government, hate paying taxes and vote for Kevin McCarthy. I expect the district to vote to recall Governor Newsom for requiring masks and other inconveniences to protect public health. But they fully expect our firefighters to risk their lives to save their property. We’re a big Agriculture and big Fossil Fuel county, and the Kern River is completely diverted for those industries. Our $7.5 billion county agribusinesses export to Hong Kong and other distant ports. Due to climate change the snowpack is disappearing from the southern end of the high Sierra Nevada mountains, threatening the source of the Kern River. The small “riverfront” area in Bakersfield is basically a large artificial water feature with fountains, and Kern Lake is now a dry basin. So most voters have chosen industry profits over forests, rivers, wilderness and public safety.
“There used to be a river here / Runnin’ deep and wide
Well, they used to have Kern River / Runnin’ deep and wide
Then somebody stole the water / Another politician lied."
— Merle Haggard’s Kern River Blues (his last recorded song).
We’re somewhat fortunate that this wildfire hit after a recent less hot and slightly wetter period here and that there are some passable roads in the area. The various government agencies (USFS, BLM, CA & County Fire Unified Command, Sheriff’s, Red Cross, etc.) are experienced in cooperating and containing these frightening wildfires. So, I’m cautiously optimistic that my town and the other nearby towns will be saved. But these “incidents” are unpredictable, and the weather is expected to get hotter over the next week. So, it’s conceivable that the fire will continue to jump over the last ridge or two and shut down the main highway next to town. I quickly looked over my belongings and mentally separated everything into ‘bring it with me’ or ‘let it go’, just in case.
Folks have experienced far worse fires than my little local French wildfire, and I will never forget reading Besame’s harrowing accounts of the Camp fire in 2018. And wildfires are just one of the terrible effects of the Climate Crisis, including flooding, sea rise, loss of croplands, coral bleaching, increasing diseases, and mass extinctions. But what prompts me to write today isn’t so much any imminent danger to my impressive collection of refrigerator magnets from around the world, but rather my hope that people will look at the bigger picture and finally start doing something serious about stopping the Climate Crisis and try to save some of our environment before its gone.