Malibu Fires Essay examples -- essays research papers

Malibu Fires Human beings are able to adapt to almost any environment, unfortunately sometimes we take advantage of our natural surroundings. We find ourselves amidst a struggle between our lifestyles and nature. Although we affect nature profoundly with our activities, we in turn are shaped by nature's potent forces. Nature can be brutal to humans, but we must remember that it merely is following its course. As a result, we must learn to coexist with it. Fire is a naturally occurring phenomenon which humans have learned to deal with throughout history. Yet when fire burns uncontrollably, there is great potential for monumental damage to all surrounding biomass. The Malibu wildfires are an example of one such instance. Historically, wildfires had been left to burn uncontrolled for weeks. Fires were caused by different sources such as lightning or human hunters who wanted to chase animals out of the woods. As prolonged as these fires were, they had limited catastrophic effects on the nomadic humans. This is due to the low population density and the fact that the fires were not very intense. As people began to change from a hunting-gathering society to agriculturists, they settled in communities. Homes built among the wild brush were perfect prey to wildfires. Initially, wildfires were put out immediately and people were barred from setting fires in open spaces. Due to the policy of fire suppression, only one percent of all wildfires escaped early control. The land was safe from fires temporarily, but this set the stage for catastrophe as the brush grew more dense. There have been more than 20 catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles County since the beginning of organized fire protection. The first "big one" happened in December of 1927. The fire started in the La Crescenta Valley, climbed over the Verdugo Mountain range and destroyed more than 100 homes. In addition to the damage caused in 1927, fires have profoundly affected the Southern California environment. Almost every square mile of chaparral land in Los Angeles county has been burned at least once, since 1919. There are basically two large fire breeding grounds in Los Angeles county: the San Gabriel Mountain range and the Santa Monica Mountains. In 1993, the Kinneloa Fire ... ...xperience. Human beings attempt to fight nature by trying to change or disturb its natural surroundings for the sole benefit of consumption. This is not only bad for the environment, but also for its inhabitants. When Malibu was home to the Chumash Indians, old vegetation was periodically burned to foster growth of new vegetation. The Chumash, who were more closely connected to nature than we are now, learned how and when to cause fires. "A long time ago the Chumash were here and they used to burn the brush every once and a while. It did wonders for the vegetation. the flowers were so beautiful. Then we built houses in their way. we really should not be here (Resident of Malibu)." Perhaps we should learn from their techniques: rather than allowing the chaparral to dry out and die (causing a high fire risk), we should clear out old vegetation to prevent massive fires and learn to respect the environment in which we live in, not abuse it. Nature is not man's enemy, but should be seen as an ally. Humans need to learn about their environment in hopes that a better understanding of natural processes will help humans to peacefully coexist with it.