The Southwest and Intermountain West are known for hot weather and even seasonal fires. They have also been experiencing a prolonged drought that has had dramatic effects on the western landscape. 2022 has been the driest year to date in Utah in the past 128 years. Compare what the Great Salt Lake looks like now compared to 40 years ago, it is more like a salty, muddy puddle. Some of the water has been used by people instead of flowing back into the lake through the water cycle and some of it is the hot and dry weather. Arizona set records last year for most consecutive days of temperature over 115℉. In crop-growing states like the Midwest, drought can cause massive crop failure and add to global food insecurity. But, in naturally dry states, extended heat combined with dry conditions from prolonged drought yields different results: increased fires.
Fires occur seasonally in the Western United States, Southern Australia and Siberia, and fire restrictions are common during the hot, dry summer months. You might recall early in 2020 before COVID shut down the world, Australia was dealing with months of bushfires and trying to save its koala population. Recently, wildfires have been growing larger and more intense, made more severe by extended heat waves. Fire season in 2020 dragged on into September. With continued dry weather and unusually strong winds, Oregon experienced an outbreak of wildfires as well. This fire season, California firefighters were dealing with another outbreak of extreme fires and one of the biggest fire events in mid-July 2021. The Dixie Fire, in Northern California, grew so big that it generated 8 firestorms and 1 mini-tornado of fire (a fire whirl).
CANN (COFA Alliance National Network) worked to connect people to resources and information about hot weather, wildfires and smoky air. They helped direct families to local cooling centers and distribute water to Marshallese farm laborers. Familiar with climate change and sea level rise from their home islands, they found themselves dealing with new climate changes with limited transportation and limited cooling options. Even though the community stuck together as best possible, President of CANN, David Aintok, said there were still some families “that didn’t get to those resources or know about them.” Selina Leem, who spoke at the 2015 Climate Summit with Minister Tony deBrum, is quoted often in climate-related news. She remains encouraging in the face of fear, to not get stuck or numb, but “to overcome it and work with solutions that we already have and how we can move forward to address this crisis.”
What do you need to know to stay safe in extreme weather?
Wildfires can greatly impact the air quality of surrounding areas. Children, older adults and people with heart or lung disease, COPD or asthma are more likely to be affected by smoke. There are also several good Marshallese and Chuukese translations of Wildfires and Smoke Fact Sheets about: smoky air, smoke exposure, air filters, and evacuation levels as well as safety tips for evacuations, how to get emergency pharmacy refills, and how to safely return after a wildfire.
Ta ko kwōj aikuj in jeļā n̄an am̧ maron̄ kōjparok n̄e eļap bwil inabōj?
Kijeek awiia ko renaaj jelote mejatoto eo an joko ipelaakin. Ajri ro, rūtto ro, kab armej ro ewōr nan̄inmej in menono, nan̄inmej in ar, COPD ak orlak, enaaj ļapļo̧k aer jorrāān jān baat. Kab elon Wildfires and Smoke Fact Sheets im ededeļo̧k an ukok ilo kajin Majeļ im Chuuk kōn: smoky air, smoke exposure, air filters, and evacuation levels as well as safety tips for evacuations, how to get emergency pharmacy refills, and how to safely return after a wildfire.