California is on fire. Several big blazes are turning the state into a surreal underworld, threatening hundreds of thousands of lives. While much of the problem comes down to climate change, there are plenty of other reasons the state is in flames 1/ trib.al/PSX2SM2
It starts with forest mismanagement—California isn’t doing nearly as many controlled burns as it should. In 2017, the southeastern US burned 100x the amount of land as California, even though the region is only five times bigger 2/ trib.al/PSX2SM2
Then there’s PG&E. It’s been shutting off power on a dizzying scale this month, but last week reported it hadn’t cut power to all the lines in the area where the Kincade Fire started—and noticed a transmission tower malfunctioned just before ignition 3/ trib.al/PSX2SM2
The fire problem is also laced with injustice. Skyrocketing home prices along the coast have pushed lower-income residents eastward, into the most fire-prone regions of the state 4/ trib.al/PSX2SM2
Income inequality complicates preparedness, too. To prevent the next Paradise fire, people need to invest in non-wood roofs and regularly clear brush around their homes. Both can be problematic for the poor and elderly 5/ trib.al/PSX2SM2
Climate change is certainly a factor here. Changing winds and dryer autumns are turning the landscape into tinder. But it didn’t have to come to this. Now, it will take a colossal effort to keep California from turning to ash 6/ trib.al/PSX2SM2 
