How suburban sprawl and climate change are making wildfires more destructive

The scene in the Los Angeles area became heartbreakingly familiar last week— people on the run and watched helplessly merciless flame Destroying homes and entire communities.

Crystal Scott grew up playing in the picturesque San Gabriel Mountains, but her foothill home was among the thousands destroyed in the Eaton Fire one of the homes.

“I'm very frustrated. Our families worked so hard to get us here and get us settled,” Scott told CBS News.

While their family home was the realization of a dream, it and many others like it were also part of a trend of urban and suburban sprawl spreading into previously desolate areas.

climate change Also plays a role in increasing risk.

A neighborhood hidden in the foothills of Los Angeles is more vulnerable now As the rainy season becomes more intense and the dry season lasts longer, this cycle results in more vegetation fueling fires. The last time Los Angeles saw more than an inch of rain was around Easter last year, and long-term weather models don't predict any rain in the area anytime soon.

Stephanie Pincetl, a professor at UCLA's Institute for the Environment and Sustainability and director of the UCLA Center for Sustainable Communities, said the damage, while “terrible,” was “not terribly disturbing.” Surprised,” she said, noting that the area has historically experienced severe fires. The west.

There are Marshall Fire near DenverThe fire that snaked down a hill three years ago grew from a grass fire into the most destructive blaze in Colorado history, destroying more than 1,000 suburban homes.

2013 Yarnell Fire, Arizona 19 firefighters died They are trying to protect their home below the mountain.

“We still think that as humans we can defeat nature. We're not that powerful,” Pinsetle said.

All of these fires have one thing in common: They occur at the interface of wildlands and cities, a technical term for a place where humans overtake nature. One in three U.S. homes is located in this type of space.

Pinsetle said those looking for those responsible should focus on “suburban sprawl.”

“But people don't want to be held accountable for suburban sprawl. We're all complicit in this land use pattern,” she said.

Fires continue to burn in Los Angeles despite all resources being deployed to extinguish them. As of Monday, more than 15,000 personnel were deployed to fight the blazes throughout Los Angeles County. The problem, according to Pincetl, is that this is not a winnable battle.

“Why do we think this? Victory means we are still trying to dominate natural patterns that we have forced beyond what we have done in the past,” she said. “We cannot defeat nature.”