Furthering the work of the report, “San Diego, 2050 Is Calling. HOW WILL WE ANSWER?” – a first-ever collaboration among community leaders and world-renowned scientists – the movie highlights regional efforts for maintaining San Diego’s regional quality of life by addressing the impacts of a changing climate on wildfire
Working with policymakers, business and community leaders, environmentalists and climate scientists, Climate Education Partners released
Wildfires in Our Changing Climate, a new movie connecting the efforts of local scientists and regional leaders who are working together to maintain San Diego’s quality of life and strong economy by addressing the impacts of wildfire frequency and intensity due to the region’s changing climate.
Joan Himmel, wife of former CBS News 8 reporter Larry Himmel, opens Wildfires in Our Changing Climate with her story, “We were in Oceanside and we had the news on. We saw the house actually burning down on the news… and we were both crying.” The Himmels watched this personal drama unfold on TV as their husband and father, the late newscaster, reported from the scene as the news cameras filmed their home being devoured by the Witch Creek Fire of 2007. Their story is shared by many who have lost their homes and businesses to wildfire in the past 15 years.
“While fighting wildfires is inherently dangerous,” Southern Regional CAL-FIRE Chief, Thom Porter explains, “the construction of more homes in more remote locations makes it even more challenging and costly to protect lives and prevent property loss while safeguarding our firefighters. As wildfire conditions worsen in coming decades, we need to better integrate fire risk assessment into our land use planning decisions along and near the wildland-urban interface."
The recent Big Sur wildfire, for example, has surpassed $200 million in firefighting coasts, becoming the costliest to fight in U.S. history according to the
Associated Press. Not only do wildfires have an economic impact, they have an emotional impact as well.
According to
Water Deeply, 4,636 wildfires in California have burned more than 200,000 acres this year. That’s more fires than this time last year and more fires than the five -year average.
In Capital Public Radio’s
broadcast, Scott Stephens, Professor of Fire Science at UC Berkeley and co-director of the Center for Fire Research and Outreach, comments on the new normal for wildfires in California. "Fire season in Southern California…it's a 12-month enterprise now," Stephens says. "Even in parts of Northern California, where we had traditionally very wet periods, we're seeing fires burning in January, December sometimes, which are just unfathomable 15 years ago."
At-risk communities, such as the tribal communities throughout the San Diego region, understand the risks. When wildfires hit, those located in these areas are exposed to the damages wildfires can cause. Native American Environmental Protection Coalition’s Executive Director, Jill Sherman-Warne adds, “The San Diego 2050 report was a great wakeup call for the tribes. Since that report was published, you have more tribes that are working on climate adaptation and mitigation.”
“Looking forward for the next 40 years we have really made a philosophical shift to a pre-fire kind of perspective. We are looking at everything we can do proactively to ensure that communities are safe and that lives are saved when we do have wildfires,” continues Chief Thom Porter, also featured in the movie.
Wildfires in a Changing Climate features retired San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman and California State University, San Marcos Wildfire Research Program Director Matt Rahn. Both leaders have seen the shift in frequency and intensity of wildfires and are focusing on being proactive through new technologies and new laws, like maintaining defensible space.
California’s 52nd District U.S. Congressman Scott Peters shares his perspective in Wildfires in a Changing Climate regarding the importance of San Diego region’s role as a national leader with the type of collaborative built by working together to protect the region’s quality of life in light of the changing climate. “Climate Educations Partners is an example of a collaboration that is happening in the San Diego region that really could teach some lessons to other places around the country,” states Peters.