The most recent forest fire – referred to as Camp Fire – that has swept across California has proven to be extremely detrimental: the death toll amounts to at least seventy-seven people and thousands are missing or hurt, harmful air pollution has forced many to abandon their homes, and almost twelve-thousand structures lay in ruins due to the fires. Camp Fire has been deemed one of the deadliest wildfires in California’s history. However, forest fires of this severity are not uncommon anymore. According to Jennifer Balch, the director of Earth Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder, there has been a “five-fold increase in the number of large fires since the 1970s” on the West Coast. Experts attribute the increased frequency of forest fires to an amalgamation of factors: individuals settling in fire-prone areas, faulty power lines, lightning, careless campers, and, most importantly, changes of seasonal patterns due to global warming. This most recent forest fire has even prompted Donald Trump to suggest that if homeowners raked their leaves, then there wouldn’t be as many forest fires. Such a proposition, though comical and completely ignorant to our changing climate, does prompt the question: How can we tackle the problem of forest fires?
Gavin Newsom, the Governor-elect of California, suggests that cameras may be the solution. During his campaign, Newsom had proposed such an initiative. Now, with the occurrence of Camp Fire, this technology is being seriously looked into. Experts argue that a camera network would allow firefighters to tackle the beginnings of wildfires before they intensify to an uncontrollable state. Moreover, the infrastructure for this system is already present: there exists rougly eighty camera throughout California that had been previously installed by seismologists. However, many more will need to be installed throughout the state if it is to be a successful system. A network of cameras is fairly simple, and by helping alert authorities of fires early, they can greatly help mitigate potential damage caused by wildfires.
But, like any governmental sponsored initiative, funding still needs to be approved. Under former Governor Jerry Brown, there were no stipulations requiring early warning fire detection technology, such as cameras. But Senate Bill 901 states that a new wildfire mitigation and safety plan must be created. California authorities hope to install at least one hundred cameras before the end of this year and six hundred by 2022.