I know we don’t like to talk about climate change and how it is going to kill us all, but we need to start paying attention. I live in New York City where we are used to air pollution, but this past June was something else. We had orange skies of death and were told to avoid going outside at all costs, all because of fires in Canada. Canada! Miles and miles away! Yes, this was horrible and scary, but it got news coverage.

We know that California has a lot of fire issues. The news tells us about them. Although, I worry that we don’t hear about them as much these days, not because they suddenly stopped happening, but rather we have trauma fatigue over reading about them.

What I didn’t know is that Oregon is often on fire and we never talk about it.

Last week I went out to Bend, OR, to visit a friend and was shocked to see what I found. First, Bend is a beautiful small rural city with scenic views of mountains, volcanos, valleys, rivers, and rock formations – that is when you can see them beyond the smog.

Same mountains completely obscured by smoke. Photo by Dan Carter.

The husband of the friend that I went to visit has breathing issues so they choose Bend as their lovely home because of its good air quality. However, the fires over the years have been increasing and the resources to fight them are not enough. The people in Oregon have to check the air quality as much as they have to check the weather.

One particular morning where we had to drive into town the air quality index was at a shocking 161. Good air quality is around 30 and below. Luckily by the time we left it had improved, but we took full on masks for the drive. It was covid all over again, but if we don’t start doing a better job, the masks might be here to stay!

My friends thankfully have air filters in their house, but the second you stepped outside you were hit with a thick smell of fire. Despite the air filters, one evening I couldn’t sleep because my nostrils were burning due to the smoke that was leaking into the house.

This is all just from one trip, where I was there for just five days.

After this experience I felt like I needed to learn more. I found some fire maps and now I’m even more terrified. Look at Canada!!! If I was suffering in Oregon for just a few days, how is the west coast of Canada even still here??!

I don’t know if I need to point this out, but forest fires have only been increasing over the years.

This is a huge issue. Do you know what fires create? CO2. Climate change is causing fires and fires are causing climate change. This is a circular disaster into oblivion.

However, it is important to note that not all forest fires are bad. In fact, “wildfires are a natural way for forests to increase fertility. Over time, debris collects on the forest floor, forming a nutrient-rich layer. In normal times, it cannot be properly broken down and absorbed by plants. But when burned, the nutrients are released into the soil.” (The Economist).

Many believe that letting nature do its job with the fires is the best way to prevent bigger forest fires in the future. We need to burn up the dried up plants in smaller ways before there is a larger issue (The Wilderness Society).

It should be noted that while some fires are created by lightning, “84 percent of wildfires in the United States are started intentionally by humans or by human activity” (The Smithsonian Magazine). Therefore, people need to be more actively careful about their behavior.

What Do We Do?

Obviously, in addition to only having smart forest fires and being careful to not start any fires, humans need to decrease the amount of fossil fuels they are using, to seriously reduce the amount of deforestation, and to make sure there are more resources given to our Forest Fighters who are clearly struggling to contain the fires.

It is also important that we make sure we are voting for politicians who care about our environment and are fighting climate change.

However, there is one more topic I feel needs to be addressed. Homelessness. With the countrywide housing crisis and the world wide inflation, homelessness is an ever increasing issue. And we are not doing enough to fight it. As the rich get richer the poor get poorer — and eventually homeless.

Bend has a large homeless population, this small town has “an estimated 1,012 people experiencing homelessness on any given night” (Bend Bulletin). “Affordable housing and financial struggles are primary reasons for many individuals being homeless, but Bend City Counselor Megan Perkins says the lack of services is a close second. ‘There are not enough treatment programs in Bend, not enough beds in the shelters and not enough mental health programs,’ she said.” (Bend Magazine).

I would also love to take this moment to remark on how important universal health care is. So many people can not afford to live just because of their health. The vast majority of the world offers free health care. The USA, Nigeria, Yemen, South Africa, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran choose not to (Skuad). The USA is the only first world country to not have free healthcare for its citizens, which is a major reason why we have a homeless crisis.

Back to Bend, OR – there are encampments of homeless people with tents and RVs often found in an area called “Dirt World” (OPB). While the state is trying to clear these out it often results in the people moving deeper into the woods.

This leads us to an important question:
Do you know what cold homeless people in Oregon do to stay warm? Start fires..

Clearly, forest fires do not have a simple answer, but this world and people need to start caring a lot more about each other and the planet quickly, or it will all go up in smoke before we know it.

Did You Know That Oregon Is On Fire?

What Do We Do?