Vikrant Shekhawat : Jan 13, 2025, 01:00 AM
Los Angeles Fire: The city of Los Angeles, located in the US state of California, is facing a terrible natural disaster. Many parts of the city have been engulfed by horrific flames of fire, causing heavy losses. According to the information so far, more than 12 thousand houses have been burnt to ashes and 16 people have lost their lives in this tragedy. It is estimated that this fire can cause economic loss of 135 to 150 billion dollars. Experts believe that this is the biggest devastation caused by fire in the history of America.Fire spread over 35 thousand acresThis massive fire of Los Angeles has so far engulfed more than 35 thousand acres of area. All efforts are being made to control the fire, but no concrete success has been achieved so far. Efforts are being made to extinguish the fire with the help of hundreds of fire safety helicopters, but due to strong winds and dry atmosphere, the fire is spreading rapidly. In view of this dire situation, more than 1.5 lakh people have been evacuated to safer places.Climate change and droughtClimate change is considered to be an important reason behind the severity of this fire in California. California has been in the grip of drought for the last decade. Two years ago, there was a slight relief from drought here, but during this time the trees and plants had dried up rapidly. Now the same dry trees and plants are fueling the fire. Apart from this, there was severe heat in this area last year, and there was less than average rainfall during the monsoon. There was no expected rain here even during the winter season, due to which there was a lack of moisture in the forests.Santa Ana winds increased the speed of fireSanta Ana winds have also played an important role in fueling this fire. Santa Ana winds are dry and powerful, which usually blow from the mountains towards the coast of Southern California. Such winds blow about 10 to 12 times every year in this area. When the atmosphere becomes dry due to these winds, the fire gets a chance to spread rapidly. The same happened this time too. Due to strong winds, the fire quickly reached the city of Los Angeles and engulfed many residential areas.Why is the fire more dangerous this time?Experts believe that usually by this time there is enough rain in Southern California, which brings moisture to the trees and plants and reduces the risk of fire. But this time the situation was exactly the opposite. This year there was severe heat and due to lack of rain, the trees and plants were completely dry. Due to lack of moisture, the fire is spreading rapidly, and it is becoming very difficult to control it.2024: Earth's hottest yearThe European Union's Earth monitoring program 'Copernicus Climate Change Service' has declared the year 2024 as the hottest year on Earth. This year the global temperature was recorded 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial level. This is a matter of concern because the intensity and frequency of natural disasters is constantly increasing due to climate change.Efforts to control the fireThe local administration and the fire department are making every effort to control the fire. Hundreds of firefighters are constantly engaged in controlling the fire. Along with this, the help of drones and fire safety helicopters is being taken. Rescue operations are also going on to take people to safe places in the affected areas.Lessons for the futureThis tragedy in Los Angeles has once again drawn attention to the serious effects of climate change. Experts say that if carbon emissions are not controlled in time, the number and severity of such disasters may increase in the future. This incident is a warning to governments and the general public that the threat of climate change cannot be taken lightly. For this, there is a need to change policies on a large scale and take steps towards sustainable development.ConclusionThis massive fire in Los Angeles has made not only the state of California but the whole world aware of the dangers of climate change. This incident is a witness to the fact that if we are careless about the protection of the environment, then such disasters can occur on an even larger scale in the future. Now the time has come for governments and society to take concrete steps together to solve the climate crisis so that a safe future can be given to the coming generations.