Current Events - Building Background

Current Events - Building Background - Wildfires

Excerpts are taken from this article: https://www.nytimes.com/article/why-does-california-have-wildfires.html?referringSource=articleShare

Wildfires are happening in these states

• California

• Oregon

• Washington

Multiple Select

Where are wildfires happening?

• California

• Colorado

• Oregon

• Washington

• Wisconsin

Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires? - NY Times - September 18, 2020

"As of Tuesday, (Sept 15) more than two million acres have burned across the state...which makes this a record year...according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection."

Multiple Choice

How many acres had burned in California as of Tuesday, Sept 15, 2020?

• 1 million

• 2 million

• 3 million

• 4 million

Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires? - NY Times - September 18, 2020

"High temperatures and strong winds have made the situation even worse. A heat wave baked Southern California over the weekend"

Multiple Select

Choose the correct words to finish this sentence: _____________ and _____________ have made the situation even worse.

• people

• climate change

• high temperature

• strong winds

• lightning

Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires? - NY Times - September 18, 2020

"But while California’s climate has always been fire prone, the link between climate change and bigger fires is inextricable. “This climate-change connection is straightforward: warmer temperatures dry out fuels. In areas with abundant and very dry fuels, all you need is a spark,” he said."

Multiple Choice

According to the previous slide, which of these is making wildfires in California worse?

• Climate Change

• People

• Fire Suppression

• Santa Anna Winds

Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires? - NY Times - September 18, 2020

"But Dr. Sun...identified a second fire season that runs from October through April and is driven by the Santa Ana winds. Those fires tend to spread three times faster and burn closer to urban areas...."

Multiple Choice

According to the previous slide, which of these is making wildfires in California worse?

• Climate Change

• People

• Fire Suppression

• Santa Anna Winds

Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires? - NY Times - September 18, 2020

"...the United States’ history of suppressing wildfires has actually made present-day wildfires worse.

“For the last century we fought fire, and we did pretty well at it across all of the Western United States,” Dr. Williams said. “And every time we fought a fire successfully, that means that a bunch of stuff that would have burned didn’t burn. And so over the last hundred years we’ve had an accumulation of plants in a lot of areas."

Multiple Choice

According to the previous slide, which of these is making wildfires in California worse?

• Climate Change

• People

• Fire Suppression

• Santa Anna Winds

Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires? - NY Times - September 18, 2020

Even if the conditions are right for a wildfire, you still need something or someone to ignite it...more often than not humans are responsible, said Nina S. Oakley, a research scientist..."

Multiple Choice

According to the previous slide, which of these is making wildfires in California worse?

• Climate Change

• People

• Fire Suppression

• Santa Anna Winds