A Historical and Meteorological Perspective – Watts Up With That?

The tragic wildfires currently raging in Los Angeles have reignited the predictable chorus blaming climate change for natural disasters. As articles from outlets like Axios, Newsweek, and the BBC demonstrate, there’s a growing tendency to tie every fire, flood, or storm to climate change. However, a closer look at history, meteorology, and land management reveals that these claims are often oversimplified by low-information journalists, and fail to address more immediate, actionable causes.

It’s essential to separate the headlines from the science to understand these wildfires in their proper context. The current fires, like many before them, are largely driven by well-documented weather phenomena, historical land-use patterns, and human decisions—not by a nebulous, all-encompassing narrative of “climate factors.”

Wildfires: A Part of California’s History

California’s relationship with fire predates the Industrial Revolution and certainly modern climate discussions. Historical records and studies consistently demonstrate that large wildfires have been a natural part of the state’s ecosystem for millennia. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the frequency of large wildfires in Southern California has remained relatively consistent over the last century, with human settlement and land management playing a much larger role than global temperature trends (source).

A map of wildfires dating back to 1878 shows that they are endemic to California:

As the Newsweek article points out, fires like the Palisades Fire are often attributed to “climate change,” by media but they rarely pause to acknowledge that human activity—like arson, accidental ignition, or poor land management—frequently sparks these events. Controlled burns, a practice used by Native Americans for centuries, were abandoned with the advent of European settlement. This led to the buildup of dense, fire-prone vegetation. In fact, a major portion of the state’s wildfire problem today stems from these overgrown landscapes, not from incremental changes in global temperatures. For example, a study published by the U.S. Forest Service highlights the significant role of wildfires in the natural ecology of California, with fire-return intervals ranging from decades to centuries, depending on the ecosystem.

Santa Ana Winds: Weather, Not Climate

A critical factor in the Los Angeles wildfires is the role of the infamous Santa Ana winds, which are neither new nor related to climate change. These dry, gusty winds are a recurring weather phenomenon caused by high-pressure systems over the Great Basin that force hot, dry air down through Southern California’s mountain passes. They’ve been a well-documented driver of wildfires for as long as records exist. The Sky News article acknowledges the role of these winds in rapidly spreading the flames, but then pivots to climate change without making a concrete scientific connection.

To clarify: Santa Ana winds are a short-term weather event, not a long-term climate trend. Conflating weather with climate—something the media routinely does—misrepresents the science. Climate refers to patterns observed over decades or centuries, while weather deals with immediate atmospheric conditions. Ignoring this distinction fuels alarmism at the expense of nuanced understanding.

Land Management and Urban Growth

Another overlooked issue is land management. Decades of fire suppression policies have allowed dry brush, dead trees, and dense vegetation to accumulate, creating the perfect conditions for catastrophic fires. The Palisades Fire, for instance, was fueled by dense vegetation that had built up over years, according to reports cited by Newsweek.

Urban sprawl into fire-prone areas—the wildland-urban interface—further exacerbates the problem. California has seen a significant increase in housing developments encroaching into areas historically prone to fires. A report from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) highlights how poor planning and a lack of defensible space around structures are key contributors to wildfire destruction (source).

Controlled burns and vegetation management, both inexpensive and effective, are vastly underutilized. Even the BBC article acknowledges that poor land management plays a significant role, although it glosses over this point to focus on climate change narratives.

Media Hype and the Climate Change Narrative

It’s become all too common for the media to frame natural disasters as evidence of an impending climate apocalypse. The Axios, Newsweek, and Sky News articles are prime examples of this trend. While they acknowledge weather and land-use factors in passing, their focus inevitably returns to vague, unsupported claims about “climate factors.”

The problem with this approach is that it misleads the public and policymakers alike. By blaming wildfires primarily on climate change, we risk ignoring the more immediate, solvable issues at hand. The media’s fixation on climate change as a universal scapegoat leaves critical factors like land management, urban planning, and fire prevention under-discussed.

The Danger of Misguided Policies

Blaming wildfires on climate change makes for dramatic headlines, but it distracts from practical solutions. For instance, California’s increasing reliance on renewable energy mandates and electric vehicles might help lower emissions over time, but they do little to address the state’s wildfire risks today. Worse, these policies often divert resources from pressing issues like fire prevention and infrastructure improvements.

A report by the Little Hoover Commission emphasizes the urgent need for better forest management practices, including thinning dense forests and conducting prescribed burns. Yet these solutions are frequently ignored in favor of policies that sound good politically but fail to address the root causes of wildfire devastation.

Conclusion: Facts Over Fear

California’s wildfires are tragic, but they are not unprecedented. Historical fire records, the role of Santa Ana winds, and the impacts of poor land management reveal a much more complex picture than the climate change narrative suggests. As the Sky News and Newsweek articles inadvertently highlight, there are many proximate causes of wildfires that demand our attention—causes that have little or nothing to do with global climate trends.

The rush to attribute every fire to climate change oversimplifies the issue and distracts from actionable solutions. Improving forest management, enforcing defensible space requirements, and addressing urban sprawl into fire-prone areas are steps we can take today.

It is crucial to separate hype from reality. These fires are not proof of a climate crisis but a reminder of the importance of thoughtful land management and disaster preparedness. Let’s focus on solutions grounded in science, history, and practicality—not fear.