Evacuations ordered as fire burns foothills of national forest east of L.A. amid heat wave
NBCSep 18
California, Nevada Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations
Above: The Line Fire slows after a sudden a late-season monsoon rain storm temporarily halted its 4K-foot elevation climb up to the edge of mountain communities on Sept. 7, 2024 near Running Springs, California. Image copyright: David McNew/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Amid a worsening heat wave in the Southwestern US, raging wildfires in California and Nevada forced the mandatory evacuation of at least 31K residents on Sunday.
California's blaze, which began Thursday in the city of Highland near the San Bernardino Mountains, has so far ravaged more than 20K acres.
The Spin
Narrative A
In recent years, worsening climate change has become the spark igniting wildfires, transforming forests into tinderboxes. Studies indicate that human-induced warming has doubled the likelihood of fire-prone weather. Given that there is little progress in curbing the consumption of fossil fuels, wildfires will only grow more frequent and severe.
Narrative B
The role of climate change in wildfires is exaggerated, often at the expense of other crucial factors like human-caused ignitions and poor forest management. This distortion stems from a twisted criteria in academic publishing which favors politicized discourse over truth, leading false narratives about climate impacts to hinder the development of practical solutions.