Unbearable smoke, homes destroyed, people displaced, lives shattered. Those are the treacherous effects of the wildfires shaking the United States. 

Since August, firefighters in states including Washington, California, and Oregon have been battling some of the deadliest flames in eighteen years. Burning well over 4 million acres, it’s hard to believe that the fire season is only halfway over.

As imagined, families in the West are starting to worry about the hardships they might, – or already are – facing. Sadly, there have been at least 36 deaths, and over 6,200 structures destroyed. 

(Credit to NASA climate change)

The largest fires seen in the past couple months – some the largest in history – include the August Complex fire (largest recorded), the Creek fire, the Pearl Hill fire, the North Complex fire, the LNU Lightning Complex fire, and the SCU Lightning Complex fire. In total, there are about 85 major fires burning in the west. Six out of twenty of the largest fires ever in California have happened this year alone. 

But the size of the fires is not all these people have to worry about, it’s how rapidly they are spreading. One of these, the Creek fire, which is now the biggest single fire recorded in California history, began on September 8th. As of Monday, September 21, it had already grown to the size of 286, 519 acres. 443 square miles have been burned. 

The story is similar to the Bobcat Fire, which has been speeding through the Angeles National Forest since it began on September 6th. As of September 22nd, the fire has burned over 105,000 acres and is considered one of the largest ever seen in Los Angeles County. 

Even though the size and growth of these fires are shocking, possibly the most surprising factor  is how, and why, one fire started. According to multiple websites, this fire was started in a peculiar, and rather odd way. 

One of the 85, named El Dorado after the park it began in, was started by none other than a gender reveal party. On a dry Saturday morning, a happy couple set out to El Dorado Ranch to find out if their child was a boy or a girl. Using a pyrotechnic device, they unintentionally set a field on fire. Unable to contain it, the fire turned into a monster almost overnight. 

Now, The El Dorado has burned, as of September 8, 2020, over 10,000 acres. As of September 22, 2020, it is Sixty percent contained. Unfortunately, one firefighter lost their life in the blaze. 

According to CNN, everyone involved in the gender reveal has been very cooperative and in touch with the firefighters. Even though it was by accident, the family could have several charges pressed against them, including arson. As of now, the charges could be filed as misdemeanors or felonies, depending on how crazy the fire becomes, and the penalties could vary.

Many people have said that the family should have been more careful and had more common sense. After all, if they had, at least some of the mass destruction rattling the western U.S. could have been prevented. 

Whether it is because of climate change, the extreme drought, or just plain old 2020, it’s safe to say that the wildfires are truly raging this year. But even despite this, we can have hope, and plan for a brighter future ahead.