As of the date of this writing, the wildfires are currently in Spokane – in the state of Washington, and unfortunately, they were caused by a human who premeditated the illegal act of arson. In my opinion, it appears that, sadly, this person has some definite untreated mental health issues and possibly developmental disabilities as well.
According to NBC (National Broadcasting Company) News, “The Spokane wildfires show how extreme heat, dry vegetation, strong winds and expanding development can transform one ignition into a disaster that destroys hundreds of homes,”.
On the wildfires in Spokane, Washington, CNN (Cable News Network) reports, “Hundreds of homes have been destroyed, tens of thousands of people were forced to flee, and as the fires slow, entire communities will be left to sift through ash. Now, authorities say a man is responsible for starting one of those fires — and has admitted to igniting multiple previous blazes in the same area dating back to last year, according to prosecutors.
Aaron Farinacci, 37, of Spokane told investigators he planned the Old Trails blaze for two weeks, using a weather app to research conditions and predict a day with high winds, low humidity and high heat, according to an affidavit prosecutors filed in court.
Farinacci often spent days and even weeks scouting potential fire locations, monitoring weather and wildfire data, and planning to set multiple fires to stretch firefighting resources thin, according to detectives. He had more than a basic understanding of fire suppression and law enforcement tactics, according to Drapeau’s statement.
On the day of the fire, Farinacci was aware Spokane County was under a red flag warning and conditions were ideal to start a fire, according to Drapeau,”.
The prosecutors said the investigation is ongoing, and more charges could be added as investigators uncover new details. This is seriously such a tragedy all around.
(Photo Credit: CNN via Spokane Valley Fire Department)
Wildfire causes
Wildfires can be caused by humans and by natural occurrences; however, a large percentage are caused by humans, such as arson in the Spokane disaster right now, but mostly by accident or by ignorance.
For example, I recently saw a PSA (public service announcement) about how loose trailer chains will cause sparks that could inadvertently start a forest fire. I have seen those people driving down the highway, chains dragging on the road and sparks flying everywhere. I knew it was dangerous, but I never thought about how, if someone was driving down a country road near a dry forest, it could be not only hazardous but disastrous.
My all-time favorite PSA is the Smokey Bear campaign. From the official Smokey Bear website, they share that, “Smokey has educated generations of Americans about their role in preventing unwanted, human-caused wildfires and protecting our nation’s beautiful wildlands. It all started with the first campaign posters in 1944, during the height of World War II.
Now more than 80 years later, wildfire prevention remains one of the most critical issues affecting our country, and Smokey’s powerful message ‘Only you can prevent wildfires’ remains as relevant and urgent as ever.
The USDA Forest Service, National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council partnered with advertising agency Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB) to create the Smokey Bear campaign in 1944. Today, that historic partnership continues as a part of BBDO, developing new public service announcements (PSAs) for the Smokey Bear campaign on a pro-bono basis,”.
I have been a camper all my life, starting when I was just two months old. Likewise, when I became a mom, I took my sons when they were babies as well. Because of this early indoctrination to the outdoors, our whole family is full of the following types of people:
- Adventurous
- Outdoorsy
- Love to camp
- Enjoy fishing
- Excellent swimmers
- Avid boaters
- Skilled off-road vehicle riders
- Safe creators of awesome campfires that will burn for hours on end
Having said that, we all know that as soon as our babies start walking, we teach them about fire safety. As the children get older, we help them learn fire safety based on their developmental stage.
Additionally, as kids, we were never allowed to put a stick in the fire and then carry it around like some kind of torch. Once it was in the fire, it stayed in there, and I enforced the same rules with my sons. In fact, we got them involved in Cub Scouts as soon as they were old enough, and I became a Den Leader to encourage more outdoor safety behaviors.
For many years as their den leader, I carried on that same serious fire safety teaching. Some of the parents did not like it, but there are too many accidents that can happen around fire, so I didn’t care what they thought – my goal was to keep all the Scouts safe while maintaining a fun atmosphere.
Wildfire natural causes
Of course, humans are not at fault 100% of the time; wildfires can occur naturally, such as from lightning. But before we talk about what lightning strikes do to nature, I’d like to back up and share a personal story.
My grandfather was struck by lightning, not once but twice! What are the odds of that happening? He attributes his survival and the lack of any injuries to wearing his sneakers with rubber soles. However, my grandmother used to joke and say that he survived those lightning strikes because he was too mean to die! Either way, my Pops was an anomaly and went on to live to be eighty-five years old.
Okay, back to nature causing wildfires. The BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) notes that wildfires caused by nature happen when, “Naturally occurring wildfires are most frequently caused by lightning. There are also volcanic, meteor, and coal-seam fires, depending on the circumstances,”.
Furthermore, the Western Fire Chiefs Association (in the U.S.) documents and reports that, “The most frequent natural cause of a wildfire is lightning. In the West, almost 70% of wildfire-burned land was the result of lightning-sparked fires. There are two types of lightning: cold and hot.
Cold lightning has an intense electrical current but does not last very long and rarely starts fires. Hot lighting has a weaker electrical current, but the bolt of lightning stays for a longer period. These longer-lasting bolts can cause wildfires.5 Even though humans cause most wildfires, fires started by lightning are usually larger and burn more land,”.
Where are the wildfires in Washington state
In conclusion, Washington’s wildfires remind us that prevention, awareness, and respect for nature all matter—because one careless act can change lives forever.