Emergency services have revealed a map detailing potential in each US state, listing San Diego County as one of the most at risk.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have used recent data and risk assessments to produce a comprehensive map showcasing how likely a wildfire will be in any given area from very high to very low. FEMA aims to emphasise the pressing need for targeted climate adaptation strategies.
While west, mid-west and southern states are covered in red, indicating that wildfires are likely, the Aleutian Islands in Alaska present the lowest risk.
The FEMA map aims to across the nation to provide emergency services with more time to prepare for any natural disasters. Areas in Southern California counties score the highest in terms of risk levels. San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles are all identified with "very high" risk scores.
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This FEMA maps highlights the range of states that may experience wild fires (FEMA)This “high risk” label is determined on factors such as community resilience to natural hazards, expected annual economic loss and the general vulnerability of the area. FEMA aims to avoid scenarios such as the Highland and York fires, which meant evacuations had to occur after wildfires destroyed thousands of acres of land.
Importantly, experts have determined that climate change is driving the threat and frequency of wildfires across the US, as is evident in the deluge of fires in the past few years. This is because as the planet warms and temperatures rise, more energy is forced into the atmosphere, leading to more extreme weather functions, meaning more extreme weather patterns occur as a result.
This means communities need to adapt to this reality and re-evaluate our systems, preparedness and responses to these extreme weather events. This especially applies to communities at risk such as indigenous communities in California, who were reported to have more exposure to damaging wildfire smoke, emphasising the need for health care to take these inequities into account.
In 2023 wildfires wreaked havoc in Muai, Hawaii (AFP via Getty Images)FEMA hopes this map will not only help the population see who is at risk but serve as a call for action to those who are responsible for enacting adaption to climate change and extreme weather events. In August, three helicopter crew members were killed in a while fighting devastating - with tributes paid to the "courageous" men.
assistant chief Josh Bischof, 46, fire captain Tim Rodriguez, 44, and contract pilot Tony Sousa, 55, all tragically died after the crash late Sunday afternoon, according to California's state firefighting agency, CalFire.
They said in a statement: "It is with great sadness that CalFire shares the tragic loss of our employees who perished in a mid-air collision yesterday evening while fighting the Broadway Fire in Riverside County. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Assistant Chief Josh Bischof, Fire Captain Tim Rodriguez, and Exclusive Use Helicopter Pilot Tony Sousa."
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