I obviously like unconventional viewpoints and here is one on the 2020 California forest fires: ‘This is Not Fine‘ by Alex Tabarrok which mentions a study showing that those fires were just a catch-up by nature compared to the normal natural fire rate in California.
“Academics believe that between 4.4 million and 11.8 million acres burned each year in prehistoric California. Between 1982 and 1998, California’s agency land managers burned, on average, about 30,000 acres a year. Between 1999 and 2017, that number dropped to an annual 13,000 acres.” In addition when I visited California I got explained that the Giant Sequoias could only reproduce if there were fires, because it is what triggers the seed to start growing. So, obviously, we have tried to convince ourselves that fire is not normal whereas it is a normal behaviour of the ecosystem.
The post goes on to state various reasons why there is not more controlled burning every year, but what is really important here to note is that ecosystems won’t always bend to the wishes of humans, and at some time there will be a catchup. And that we should be able to foresee this situation rather than complain.
Listening to the century-old rhythm of nature and ecosystems is certainly a good way to start when it comes to deciding where and how we live.