Living in a Fire Zone
Flames at Our Doorstep: The Unpredictable Reality of Santa Ana Winds
Only the wind knows for sure
Record heat
Deadly fires
No end in sight.
Living at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains in Southern California, I’ve witnessed firsthand how climate change is making fires more frequent, intense, and unpredictable.
In California, 14 of the 20 largest wildfires on record have erupted in just the past 15 years. These fires now burn over twice the land area they did in the 1980s and 1990s, consuming not just forests but entire communities once thought safe.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that 10 of the last 15 years have been among the warmest on record in this region. For those of us living here, these aren’t just numbers — they’re the smoky skies, the headaches from poor air quality, and the constant tension of living in a place that feels like it’s balancing on the edge of disaster.
Prolonged droughts and decreased snowpack levels have exacerbated these conditions, creating a tinderbox effect across much of the Western US. Warmer temperatures lead to earlier snowmelt and drier conditions in spring and summer, extending the fire season significantly and increasing the frequency and…
