Thoughts with California and Wildfires in a More Local Context in MA

January 12, 2025

My thoughts are with those impacted by the evolving fire emergency in California.

The images and stories emerging from the fires in and around Los Angeles are devastating.

I'm heartened to know that first responders from near and far are working together and doing everything they can to help and stabilize the situation.

California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports over 35,000 acres burned over recent days, resulting in over 10,000 structures destroyed, and according to AP News, more than 20 fatalities thus far.

Through a combination of six separate wildfires blazing through the region, many residents are left without homes, fire departments are working tirelessly, and heavy smoke-filled air is creating further health concerns. The Palisades Fire is mentioned specifically by The Guardian as the most destructive fire in LA history.

Many climate related issues feed and exacerbate emergencies similar to the current firestorm seen in California. To provide some context, locally in Massachusetts recent drought conditions have led to an extreme uptick of and increase in intensity of wildfires in the Commonwealth. During the fall of 2024 almost the entire Commonwealth saw a deficit of 8-11 inches in rainfall, according to NBC10 Boston. That, in combination with increased temperatures throughout the months of October and November resulted in 196 and 400+ fires, respectively, compared to typical averages of 15 fires in October and 21 in November, as reported by the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Drought conditions are two-fold in terms of their influence in perpetuating greater numbers and intensity of wildfires. In a previously held public hearing by the Joint Committee on (COVID-19 and) Emergency Preparedness and Management, testifiers cited that drought-influenced fires burn deeper and are therefore more challenging to contain and fully suppress. Further, droughts diminish municipal water supplies intended for response strategies against occurring fires. Decreasing water supplies may be contributing to the challenges currently facing those combating the several fires in the LA region, according to the same Guardian piece. Such factors further heighten safety concerns for the attending firefighters and departments.

Another potential contributing factor is that, according to DCR, "forests cover nearly 3 million acres of land in Massachusetts. That’s 56% of all of Massachusetts!" This places MA in the top 10 states with the most forest cover, according to UMass Amherst.

Last year, I began serving as an appointed Commissioner to the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact (NFFPC), an inter-state and international collaborative supporting mutual aid responses across New England, New York, and five Provinces of Canada.

I'm proud to be a NFFPC Commissioner for MA and in a small way supporting the work of our dedicated wildland and municipal firefighters.

Following an unprecedented year of wild-firefighting in the Commonwealth that occured amidst another severe drought, it is clear that if we were to also experience similar wind-driven firestorm conditions like California is right now, we could find ourselves facing a similar dire-type situation here in Massachusetts. It could happen here and it will be important to learn from the recent local fires and the ongoing situation in California so we are better prepared to deal with mitigating and responding to the critical life safety challenges.

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