Hope amongst the ashes

Our hearts go out to our friends in California as they confront the impacts of the recent wildfires—the tragic loss of lives, land, and memories.

The fires that ravaged—and continue to threaten—Los Angeles are a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by climate change. The wildfires, burning for days and forcing mass evacuations, have left behind acres of devastation and anguish. While the official investigation into the cause of the fires is still ongoing, misinformation has caused further confusion and distress.

So, what is the truth? 

Climate Central researcher, Kaitlyn Trudeau, points out: 

“Climate change is significantly intensifying the conditions that contribute to wildfires and increasing the frequency of fire weather days across California.” 

Furthermore, in their article—The role of climate change in the catastrophic 2025 Los Angeles fires—researchers from the Yale Centre for Environmental Communication highlight the following points:

• Hydroclimate whiplash: Ironically, California experienced unusually wet conditions in the winter periods preceding their recent drought. This led to increased vegetation growth, which the subsequent extreme dry conditions converted into abundant fuel for the fires. Known as “hydroclimate whiplash”, this cycle of alternating wet and dry extremes, is a hallmark of the increasing volatility of climate change.

• Arid Conditions and Heatwaves: Continuing rising temperatures due to climate change have led to drier conditions across California. This prolonged drought results in parched vegetation, reduced water supplies, and less opportunity for controlled burns to reduce available fuel and therefore diminish fire intensity. In addition, the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have increased significantly. These extreme heat events further dry out vegetation and exacerbate the drought conditions, making wildfires more likely and more ferocious. All these factors combine to create a perfect storm, enabling wildfires to ignite and spread rapidly.

While climate change is not the sole cause of wildfires, the YCC article notes that it plays a significant role in creating the perfect conditions for wildfires to thrive. With volatile climate, increasing temperatures, and parched vegetation, climate change makes wildfires more frequent, intense, and destructive.

Like many cities around the world affected by housing crises, Los Angeles is also experiencing a growing urban sprawl—bringing more homes and communities into closer proximity to wildfire-prone areas. This expansion of the wildlands–urban interface creates a dangerous situation where fires can easily spread from natural landscapes into populated areas.

What can be done? 

With the increase in frequency and intensity of extreme bushfires, it’s even more important we take preventative measures to minimise the risk of fires reaching our homes. 

However, the homes of our native wildlife also need protecting. Indigenous knowledge and practice are vital tools in managing land and vegetation to reduce the frequency of extreme fires and to mitigate their impact.

In Australia, we have never known a time when bushfires were not a threat. However, the catastrophic fires in recent years are not normal. Since the underlying issue is climate change, Trudeau says:

 “The best thing we can do to reduce the rate of change we’re confronting is to reduce carbon emissions as sharply and as fast as we can.” 

The 2025 Los Angeles fires serve as a wake-up call. 

The devastating bushfires in Australia in 2019/2020 showed the resilience and collective will of human beings in the face of adversity.  Amongst the blackened landscape, Glimmer founder, Nancy Lutchman saw a glimpse of something extraordinary—communities banding together, strangers helping strangers. This was the inspiration for Glimmer—the realisation of the power of people in a time of crisis.

Let’s learn from the LA experience. This is a time for grieving, certainly. But let’s work together to build something positive out of this tragedy.

It’s important to acknowledge the undeniable role of climate change in creating the conditions that fuelled this catastrophe. And, in doing so, we can take firm, decisive action and work towards a future where wildfires are less frequent and less destructive. But this requires more collaboration to find actionable solutions.

At Glimmer you will find a like-minded, sympathetic community working towards a sustainable world—discovering better ways to look after each other and our planet. Glimmer is more than a social platform. Glimmer is a sustainability movement that’s gaining traction across the world—individuals, organisations, and businesses banding together to take action on issues of environmental and social sustainability. Please join us.

Sources:

Climate change, not endangered species protection, is a big culprit in Los Angeles fires. https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/01/climate-change-not-endangered-species-protection-is-big-culprit-in-los-angeles-fires/

Hydroclimate volatility on a warming Earth. Swain, D.L., Prein, A.F., Abatzoglou, J.T. et al. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-024-00624-z

LA fires show the human cost of climate-driven ‘whiplash’ between wet and dry extremes. https://theconversation.com/la-fires-show-the-human-cost-of-climate-driven-whiplash-between-wet-and-dry-extremes-247133

Relational geographies of urban unsustainability: The entanglement of California’s housing crisis with WUI growth and climate change. Greenberg, M., Angelo, H., Losada, E., Wilmers, C. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2310080121

The role of climate change in the catastrophic 2025 Los Angeles fires. https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/01/the-role-of-climate-change-in-the-catastrophic-2025-los-angeles-fires/