The higher temperatures in the West have led to a dwindling snowpack. This has meant that the forests have become drier and so more susceptible to fires. The drought and now fires have spread from Alaska, who moved its famous Iditarod race due to a lack of snow, through Washington and to southern California.
In the conifer forests of the western United States, earlier snow melts, longer summers and an increase in spring and summer temperatures have increased fire frequency by 400 percent and have increased the amount of land burned by 650 percent since 1970.
Active fires have burnt three times as many acres in Washington state as in California. Fires over 100,000 acres are considered a “megafire” and before 1995 there was only 1 per year in California. This year California has had 5 “megafires.” Reports said more than 5,000 fires had burned six million acres already, and there have been several fatalities.
Washington Record Fires
Tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars have already evaporated. And with no end in sight, there may still be years of suffering — and painful decisions — waiting ahead.
The U.S. Forest Service spent around $200 million a week battling wildfires across the country during the summer of 2015, breaking all-time records, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Oregon and Washington were among the hardest hit states, with hundreds of thousands of acres scorched.
Several Western states — California, Montana and Idaho — are also seeing a severe fire season with some 11,600 square miles scorched so far. Authorities have warned that smoke from these fires is creating hazardous air quality and that the choking haze could soon spread north into Canada.
About 1,250 firefighters were battling the fires, which were just 10% contained and threatened over 5,000 homes. The firefighters included about 700 Washington National Guardsmen.
Crews also arrived from New Zealand and Australia, as areas of central and eastern Washington battled 16 large wildfires covering more than 920 square miles.
We should not be ignorant of the ways in which God works. God often withholds rains upon a people who continue to sin against Him. Is the prolonged lack of rain in California just blind coincidence or is God angry with us as a people?
Drought—followed by famine—is one of the consequences for national disobedience. Our national sins do not go unnoticed by God. God makes this clear to Solomon and the same applies today since God has not changed (Malachi 3:6).
Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:12-13).
I wonder if we as a nation will seek His face….and more importantly will we turn from our wicked ways.