Letter to the Editor: Recent LA fires signal a greater climate issue – The Daily Titan


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Cloudy skies with periods of light rain late. Low 54F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Updated: February 5, 2025 @ 7:08 am

From toxic smoke to long-term ecosystem strain, wildfires devastate lives, landscapes and livelihoods, as seen in the recent Los Angeles fires. We are moving closer to wildfires no longer being just environmental disasters — but a growing public health crisis and a symptom of our failure to address climate change.
The U.S. often responds in an immediately counteractive way, prioritizing emergency firefighting over addressing root causes. While emergency response is crucial, we must also focus on long-term prevention.
As wildfire seasons intensify due to rising global temperatures, we need a new approach rooted in prevention, specifically primordial. This means addressing systemic factors that fuel wildfires through ecological protection, climate action focused on a just transition, commitment to public health equity and honoring Indigenous relationships and practices with land.
The World Health Organization refers to climate change as a health crisis and a threat multiplier. For example, wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, called PM2.5, that travels far, triggering respiratory and cardiovascular issues in vulnerable populations.
Prolonged exposure to poor air quality exacerbates asthma, chronic obstructive preliminary disease and heart disease, all creating a significant public health burden. Toxic debris and ash post-wildfire also pose prolonged health threats.
Survivors of wildfires often experience mental health challenges including PTSD, anxiety and depression. These effects disproportionately affect communities experiencing marginalization and those who have fewer access to resources for recovery and healing. Surrounding communities may experience “survivor’s guilt” as they grapple with feelings of powerlessness and seek ways to offer support.
Despite these widespread consequences, the U.S. invests primarily in firefighting and recovery rather than mitigation and prevention. While a fully funded and skilled firefighting system is important, we must also work towards long-term prevention to address immediate impacts and broader environmental and societal inequities.
As we assist those displaced by recent wildfires in Los Angeles, we need to keep our eyes focused on long-term systemic risks to reduce negative consequences before they emerge.
Primordial prevention focuses on reducing risk factors before they emerge. For wildfires, this means tackling root causes such as ecosystem degradation, unsustainable land use, inequity and climate change.
Healthy ecosystems can act as natural firebreaks. Biodiversity ensures landscapes are more resilient to disturbances, while native species reduce fuel loads and regenerate quickly after fires. However, habitat destruction through urban sprawl and deforestation increases wildfire risk. Restoring ecosystems with fire-resistant vegetation, protecting wildlife corridors and prioritizing biodiversity are essential steps.
Indigenous knowledge can guide these efforts. For millennia, Native communities practiced cultural burning — small, controlled fires that reduce underbrush, rejuvenate soil and prevent larger wildfires. These practices, rooted in harmony with the land, created resilient landscapes while supporting biodiversity.
Reviving Indigenous stewardship is both an environmental and social justice imperative. Controlled burns and other forms of traditional ecological knowledge have been sidelined by industrial forest management practices, despite their historic effectiveness.
By partnering with Indigenous communities, governments and fire authorities can implement cultural burns as part of broader wildfire prevention strategies. This strengthens ecosystems and fosters healing by restoring Indigenous leadership in land use management.
The connection between climate change and wildfires is undeniable. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts and erratic weather patterns create ideal conditions for more frequent and severe wildfires.
Mitigating these risks requires bold climate action including reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming while also restoring carbon-sequestering ecosystems like forests, grasslands and wetlands. Updating land-use policies to prevent urban development in fire-prone areas is another directly effective caution to take.
Wildfires disproportionately harm vulnerable communities, those with limited access to healthcare, clean air and emergency resources. A true prevention-first approach must include accessible air quality monitoring and filtration systems, trauma-informed mental health care for wildfire survivors and resources for low-income households to retrofit homes with fire-resistant materials.
Wildfires are a symptom of a larger crisis: the imbalance between humanity and nature. Addressing this requires more than firefighting. It demands systemic change. By investing in primordial prevention that integrates wildlife conservation, Indigenous practices, climate action and health equity, we can reduce wildfire risks and build resilience.
Prevention is not just about avoiding the next disaster — it is about healing our relationship with the land, protecting communities and creating a more harmonious relationship between people and the planet. The stakes are high, but the solutions are within reach.
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