When people think about wildfires, the first image that comes to mind is probably that of burning trees.
So when a city is burning and the trees are standing, it may seem unusual at first glance.
Several massive fires have ripped through Los Angeles since Tuesday, killing at least 10 people and burning more than 10,000 homes and other structures in a 40-kilometer area north of downtown.
With images of wildfires dominating the media this week, some are wondering why trees, including the state's iconic palm, have survived alongside burned homes and cars.
This adds fuel conspiracy theories on social media about the homes and structures that are being targeted – some say there is no way the fire could have naturally left the trees standing, and suggest that the structures were instead directly attacked with a secret weapon.
Internet personality The Patriot Voice posted to his 141,000 followers on social media platform LAND TAKE. “
Others claimed this was evidence of HAARP (High Frequency Active Aurora Research Program) microwaves, with one user burn with microwaves.”
Mads Palsvig, chairman of the Danish right-wing Prosperity Party, wrote in X: “Forest fires (sic!) where trees do not burn. This is called DEW. Always nice places, prime real estate.”
It all comes down to moisture
The claim that trees do not burn is simply untrue, as evidenced by numerous videos and photos showing many of them bursting into flames, in some cases wreaking havoc on nearby buildings.
But scientists say there is a simple explanation why some were spared such a fate.
“I mean, it's pretty obvious to me. “The trees are filled with thousands of liters of water,” said biology and biotechnology professor Miranda Hart of the Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience and Ecosystems Services at the University of British Columbia.
“Of course, trees burn when the fire is big and hot enough. But if there's a tree filled with water and something really dry next to it, whatever was dry will burn first. This way you can imagine that the fire can just go around if there is enough fuel on both sides.
Similar questions arose after the town of Paradise, California, burned in a fire in 2018. At that time a retired employee of the US Forest Service the scientist told CBC News that while some people might imagine a fire as a wall of flames, the burning embers ignited many spot fires over a wide area — which helps explain why in some photos it looked almost as if there were hundreds of individual house fires, rather than one large fire.
After a 2007 fire, the Escondido, California, fire department recommended restrictions on planting palm trees, especially after determining that certain species were particularly dangerous due to their shape or lack of maintenance.
Hands that aren't well-kept “can explode and turn into a giant torch” document he says, a phenomenon that can be seen in videos of the current fires in Los Angeles. It is said that flying embers can also embed themselves in the fibrous tissue or bases of leaves along the trunk of a palm tree.
Another major hazard is leaf bases and dried leaves on trees that are not cared for can detach from the trunk and be blown around by the wind, acting like a fireball.
Kevin Hanna, director of the Environmental Assessment Research Center at UBC, said some trees are more susceptible to fires than others – for example, deciduous trees and shrubs are less flammable due to their moist leaves and lower resin content, while conifers like plants decorative. cedars and junipers are highly flammable.
The fires in Los Angeles continue to spread at a deadly rate, fueled by large amounts of fuel and high winds – conditions that B.C. is also familiar with. As Michelle Ghoussoub reports, wildfire experts say there are lessons to be learned from this situation for preparing for B.C
As for why some trees and buildings survive and others don't, he said it often comes down to momentary conditions and “what some might call chance or coincidence,” such as a quick change in wind direction that can redirect embers.
Maintaining a wet lawn or having a wet or fireproof roof can make a difference, Hanna said, although under extreme enough conditions almost anything will burn.
“There is no conspiracy – some politicians are simply resorting to shoddy opportunism, denying the realities of climate change and blaming others in the hope of gaining a fleeting advantage,” he said.
Climate change, development increasing risks
Hanna said residential development has expanded into wildfire-prone areas in recent years, increasing the risk of homes burning, while wildfires are becoming larger and more frequent, in part because of droughts and warmer weather exacerbated by climate change.
While some blame a lack of fire protection and brush removal, UBC's Hart said the truth is that conditions were perfect for the fires to spread and there is little that can be done to prevent similar devastation in the future beyond trying to reverse climate change.
“Fire is not that mysterious. It just needs the right conditions and the right fuel,” Hart said.
“We can rearrange the deckchairs on the Titanic for a few more years, but we cannot build a climate-proof society. It's too powerful and too multi-faceted.”