As a result of climate change, dry weather, and warm temperatures, the world is witnessing a rise in wildfires. There have been 61,410 wildfires in the last ten years in America alone.
Statistics suggest that 9 out of 10 wildfires happen due to human mistakes. These errors include unattended campfires, equipment malfunctions, arson, negligence, etc. Wildfires threaten innocent civilians’ livelihoods, destroy their property, and damage natural resources.
In this blog, we will discuss how wildfires threaten the natural order and what governments can do to prevent them.
How Do Wildfires Affect Everything and Everyone?
According to the WHO, wildfire smoke contains hazardous pollutants like lead, carbon dioxide, NO2, PM2.5, aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. These toxins pollute the climate in the surrounding areas, leading to lasting water, land, and air contamination.
Statistics suggest that the effects of such contamination linger for many years. As a result, it negatively impacts society, vegetation, and wildlife. Some consequences of wildfires include the following:
- Inhaling the smoke leads to respiratory distress, asthma, premature death, and cardiovascular issues.
- There is an increased health effect for toddlers and people with vulnerable conditions.
- Rebuilding infrastructure in the areas affected can be economically draining for the government.
- An increase in soil erosion leads to the degradation of water bodies and waterways.
- Contaminants like ash, debris, and waste left behind due to the fire need proper waste disposal methods.
Recently, pollutants from thousands of wildfires in Canada flew into America and turned the skies orange. New Yorkers were advised to stay indoors as they witnessed apocalyptic skies and inadequate air quality. It proves that natural disasters have no boundaries.
Legal Consequences of Wildfires: A Case Study
Usually, natural wildfires happen due to a lightning strike or the sun’s heat. For example, the Australian bushfire took place due to extreme heat conditions.
Apart from natural wildfires, there are intentional ones resulting from human carelessness. The U.S. Forest Service states that intentional wildfires lead to legal repercussions. A good example would be the recent Maui wildfire that took over the news.
This incident was a utility-caused fire that started in the community of Lahaina on August 7th and lasted until August 12th, 2023. Within these five days, the beauty of Maui was overshadowed by ashes and environmental disaster.
This county witnessed 2,200+ acres of wildfires that caused extensive damage to Maui’s infrastructure. The NY Times states that over 100 Americans lost their lives in this incident.
According to TruLaw, Hawaiian Electric Industries (HEI) was held liable for the negligence that led to this incident. Officials investigated and found that a failure in the power lines triggered this blazing fire. It happened due to the lack of maintenance during adverse weather.
As of September 7th, 2023, affected individuals and victims filed a dozen lawsuits due to suffered losses and damages. Moreover, a recent Maui fire update highlights that these lawsuits raised points like:
- Conscious indifference
- Lack of response plans for emergencies
- Failure to meet safety measures
Furthermore, lawyers believe the judge will take into account some legal considerations before passing a verdict. Examples include causation analysis, scientific evidence, expert testimony, forensic analysis, property damage, and liability assessment.
What Can the Government Do?
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) suggests that the only way to statistically prevent wildfires is by combining data analysis and science-based monitoring systems. With the help of indigenous knowledge, governments can build better corporations to mitigate wildfires.
According to Inger Andersen, the executive director at UNEP, “governments are putting money in the wrong place when it comes to wildfire response.” Instead, they need to be prepared to minimize the risk of this incident before they happen. For example, investing in fire risk reduction and working with local communities will help reduce these risks.
Moreover, governments need to understand how and why wildfires happen. This way, they can build fire management techniques by combining legal policies, frameworks, and incentives. They need to implement land use policies that incentivize better management. These will compel companies toward appropriate fire and land use.
Governments can also focus on ecosystem restoration to mitigate risks. Examples include peatlands and wetlands restoration. They must balance fire suppression and prevention methods through proper disaster management and recovery techniques.
Similarly, burying and insulating power lines can reduce utility-related wildfires. Governments can also reduce fuel loads and educate fire users about safety precautions. These are all essential investments to prevent, prepare, and recover from such disasters.
The Bottom Line
The severity and duration of wildfires are increasing due to adverse environmental changes. There is an increased intensity of acres burned and the wildfire’s duration. Hence, it affects the location’s water supply, transportation, power service, and communication.
The risk will keep growing as the world enters the global boiling era. However, governments can come together to address this issue and build prevention methods to deal with intense wildfires.
Even utility companies can learn from the Maui incident and perform regular checks on their equipment. Only then can the world emerge victorious from the ashes of wildfires.
