Photos: The Oak Fire Is Our Most Recent Climate Crisis Red Flag (That We Probably Won’t Heed)
As of Thursday, July 28th, the Mariposa County fire measures over 19,000 acres in size
After consecutive years of demoralizing — despondent, painful, gnashing-of-teeth depressing — wildfires that tore through Northern California like riptides, 2022’s fire season was proving welcomingly light Our skies hadn’t yet turned orange. Air quality in the Bay Area didn’t create orange- and red-colored readings due to particles produced by wildfire smoke. Schools hadn’t been turned into temporary shelters. Livestock didn’t die en masse. The smells of nearby campfires didn’t scent San Francisco’s neighborhoods.
We were in the proviral clear…. until the Oak Fire began Thursday of last week. It’s proving to also be yet another red flag put up by the climate crisis waving in the wind.
California’s Oak Fire has destroyed at least 116 structures since it ignited near Yosemite National Park. Fire crews — made up of 3,758 personnel — have battled the blaze both in the air and on the ground, contending with the area’s steep terrain. Though containment is now at 39%, which is a considerable improvement from the 26% figure reported on Wednesday, the Oak Fire still poses a considerable risk for dozens of nearby towns.
As of publishing, the cause of the fire is under investigation. But if past fire seasons are to offer any insight, there’s a strong possibility it might have been caused by antiquated election equipment from PG&E. (Again: This is not an assertion, merely an assumption based on the fact the utility has set off at least 31 wildfires — many of which were the largest, most deadly blazes record in California’s history —…
