In September, there was an increase in fires across the United States. Reporters say that these fires have burned through the most acres of land on record for early September since 2018. The 65 reported fires burned seven million acres of land across the nation. In Southern California three fires raged through the state: the Bridge Fire, Airport Fire, and Line Fire. In Nevada, the Davis Fire caused many damages to the state. In addition to these fires, there are many others, like the Rail Ridge Fire in Oregon and the Lava Fire and Wapiti Fire in Idaho. Luckily, the weather helped firefighters to begin containing the fires and prevent more damages.

The Bridge Fire started on September 8th and was at 97% containment on October 29 after burning 54,878 acres of land. The fire destroyed many homes, particularly in the San Gabriel Mountains, which are just north of Los Angeles. The Angeles National Forest released a Bridge Fire Area Closure Order, meaning that the public will not be allowed in the areas of the forest that were affected by the fire while it is recovering. The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but is under investigation.
The Airport Fire started on September 9th and was at 95% containment on October 29. The fire burned 23,526 acres in Orange and Riverside counties. Because of the fire, ten firefighters suffered minor injuries and two civilians were injured, one obtaining burns. The fire was started after equipment near the RC airport was misused. Currently, many highways and roads are closed but all orders and warnings of evacuation have been lifted.

The Line Fire started on September 5th and was at 83% containment on October 29. 39,477 acres of land have been burned by the blaze in the county of San Bernardino. The fire is suspected to have begun after Justin Halstenberg allegedly committed arson. The 34 year-old man was charged with nine total felonies, including several counts of arson. The FedEx driver pleaded not guilty after being accused of the crime.

The Davis Fire started on September 7th and is currently fully contained after burning 5,824 acres of land in Nevada. A ranger’s home as well as twelve other structures were destroyed during the beginning of the fire. Later on the count rose higher after the destruction of fourteen homes and multiple other community buildings were reported. During the fire a black bear from Washoe Valley was badly burned, and soon after was found unconscious with bad burns on his feet and face. After being received by the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the 25-year-old bear received the name Nugget. The veterinarians found that the bear had obtained third degree burns on his paws and are concerned that the severity of the burns could be worse than they seem. This is because veterinarians do not have a good measure of how long Nugget (the bear) was in the fire. Despite the bear’s situation being concerning, the NDOW is keeping him as comfortable as possible while he recovers.

On September 19, the Rail Ridge Fire in Oregon had destroyed multiple homes in the state as well as surpassing the record for acres burned, reaching more than 160,00 acres in damages. As well, The Lava Fire had combined with another fire in Idaho, continuing to burn more land reaching 94,000 acres. The state of Idaho was also fighting the Wapiti Fire after it grew to 125,000 acres of affected land. Despite the severity of the fire, the recent rain had helped the firefighters with containment.

Although the initial threats of the fires have been mostly contained, the damages from the fires have affected many lives of people living in the burned areas. In addition, the higher rates and sizes of fires in the western part of the United States is a threat to many of the people, animals, and environments that rise in that area. Spreading word of the importance of fire safety can help to protect from bigger, more dangerous fires in the future.

References

“Airport Fire.” Cal Fire, State of California, 28 September 2024, /www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/9/9/airport-fire.
“Bridge Fire.” Cal Fire, State of California, 28 September 2024, www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/9/8/bridge-fire.
Karlamangla, Soumya. “Firefighters Make Progress in California, as Evacuees Wait to Return.” The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 12 September 2024, www.nytimes.com/live/2024/09/12/us/california-wildfires-idaho-oregon?searchResultPosition=1#california-wildfires-idaho-oregon.
“Line Fire.” Cal Fire, State of California, 28 September, 2024, www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/9/5/line-fire.
Skinner, Anna. “Bear Named ‘Nugget’ Badly Burned in Wildfire Rescued by Firefighters.” News Week, NewsWeek Digital LLC, 19 September 2024, www.newsweek.com/bear-named-nugget-badly-burned-nevada-wildfire-rescued-firefighters-1956404.