In California a Crisis Brews Between Human and Nonhuman Systems

By TREVOR ALLEN - FEBRUARY 28, 2022

It was a normal day when the fire came. I was at home, relaxing and enjoying my free time after school, when I noticed the faint smell of smoke in my living room. I ran to our back door and pushed the curtains aside to see an angry orange sky, with clouds of brown smoke and the subtle falling of ash. I was young at the time – in my early adolescence – and while I had experienced wildfire before, this time was different. This time I was old enough to process the terror and reality of it’s indiscriminate and explosive power.

Despite wildfires natural process in California, instances are becoming more frequent and destructive.1

This instance was the first time I realistically processed the threat that wildfire can have on my family and I's security. Our livelihoods are built upon structures which aren’t infallible to non-human forces such as wildfire. Our home, just nearly as all others can be subject to the same force which burned the hills full of dense, dead vegetation and reminds me and many other Californians of a stark truth – we live within wildfire country.

Wildfire is nothing new to California, it's necessary to renew landscapes thereby playing a key role in our ecosystems health.1 Despite this reality, wildfire poses a threat to human-made places in the contexts of infrastructure destruction, system disruption – such as economic, health, and other services – and the overall health of people – when considering its pollution effects on the lungs. Despite wildfires natural process in California, instances are becoming more frequent and destructive.1  Since 1984 the USAmerican west has seen a greater than 5 fold increase in yearly burned area, with 2020 closing with enough burned area to surpass the size of Maryland.2  Scientists have determined this increase to be primarily attributed to human caused climate change, - from global warming - with a projection of worsening fire conditions as global temperatures continue to rise.2

In 2018, a failure of electrical equipment owned by Pacific Gas and Electric – abbreviated PG&E – during windy, red flag conditions sparked what was later named the Camp Fire.3 The result of this blaze became the most destructive and deadly in California’s history as it burned 153,336 acres, destroying 18,804 structures, and killing 85 civilians. In the process, the Camp Fire destroyed the California town of Paradise while encroaching on Concow, Magalia, and the outskirts of Chico CA.3 The aftermath was brutal with displaced families, destroyed livelihoods, homes and businesses. Shortly after, litigation targeting PG&E successfully charged the company with 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter, and a felony charge of starting a fire – the first time a utility company had been charged with homicide following the start of a fire by its own equipment. 4 The result bankrupted PG&E with a $3.5 million fine, and $25.5 billion settlement for the victims, and families impacted by the blaze. 4 After the decision in the lawsuit, a new practice by Californian utilities to prevent wildfires and avoid such litigative impacts began which today is known as the Public Safety Power Shutoff – aka PSPS.

The Public Safety Power Shutoff and growth of wildfire conditions in California, is an example of devastating, and wicked problems with difficult and sometimes unclear solutions.8

The Public Safety Power Shutoff occurs in dry, windy, red flag conditions for electrical circuits which are served by power lines that cross over wildfire danger zones. 7 In communities such as mine in Ventura County, CA, power lines traverse across hills and space with ample dense, and dry vegetation, where the threat of a wildfire from a downed power line or faulty electrical equipment could spark a blaze which could erratically carve its way through communities. The result ends up cutting electricity to entire neighborhoods which could be far from the threat of wildfire, leaving residents in the dark without the ability to cool their homes, power medical equipment, ensure perishables stay refrigerated, and much more. This occurrence has become frighteningly more common as wildfire weather continues to expand into a sometimes-year-round season, marking a critical snarl between human and non-human systems.2  Considering global warming continues to increase dry, hot, & windy conditions in California, - while altering climate patterns in the process - the instances of the Public Safety Power Shutoff are only slated to increase without infrastructure work to adapt aging electrical grids. 

As future conditions continue to make California more susceptible to wildfire, we must evaluate the position our existing systems are developed in. Considering communities are increasingly at risk by worsening wildfire occurrences, and basic necessities such as electricity delivery are impacted by growing wildfire conditions, we face a stark reality that human systems are fragile to non-human forces which are often exacerbated by our systems in the first place. This is a consequence of development upon the basis of domination over the spaces we inhabit,  which results in systems such as electrical grids that are poorly adapted and integrated into greater than human spaces.  This is evident in a multitude of other circumstances, such as unsustainable water usage for agriculture, and most notably the rapid decline of ecosystem services – Examples include: air purification by plant life, water cleansing, natural soil health, and more – which provided $33 trillion of global economic value during 1997 when the total global value was estimated at a mere $18 trillion. 5 , 6– How? See note below paragraph.

This is due to the lack of integration of the value in which healthy ecosystems provide to the economy. In this instance when the global economy was estimated at a total value of $18 trillion, healthy ecosystems provided nearly double the official measured economic value, marking how much we underestimate the true costs of economic growth.6 1997 is utilized since measuring the value ecosystems provide is a long and difficult process, which a study in 1997 has been vetted and time-tested for accuracy by researchers. Deteriorating ecosystem services only serve to drag the economy over a long-term perspective which demonstrates how current economic growth is most likely unsustainable for future generations. This guide overviews how USAmerican culture tends to view issues in short-time frames, and explains business/economic behavior on this principle.

The Public Safety Power Shutoff and growth of wildfire conditions in California, is an example of devastating, and wicked problems with difficult and sometimes unclear solutions.8 More importantly is the example in which these issues demonstrate the future relations between a wide range of human and non-human systems in a rapidly changing climate from global warming. Despite sustainability being a prominent buzzword used in corporate advertising and public relations efforts, human systems need to be adapted and developed in ways which can realistically sustain themselves in the face of changing conditions. Without development with an increased recognition of the greater than human world and our interconnected position within it, we risk developing future infrastructure in a manner that tries to dominate rather than integrate within spaces. This can cause kickbacks - such as wildfire, hurricanes, and more -  when we ignore legitimate dangers and sow discord in local, and regional ecosystems in which are paramount to a community’s long-term prosperity.

Woolsey Fire burning across the top rim of Simi Valley, CA - near Wood Ranch area. November 9th, 2018 (Photo taken by Trevor Allen)