It’s a safe bet many Southern Californians have looked around our burn-scarred, bone-dry landscape recently and quietly formed a climate change Plan B.
Perhaps you were hoping to inch your way north, searching for safety among the free-flowing rivers and towering pine trees in Humboldt County, or Mt. Shasta, or the Pacific Northwest.
Sure, the winters are damp and gray, but all of that moisture will protect you from the ravages of a rapidly warming planet. Right?
Wrong.
A record-breaking fire season everywhere but here
While California has enjoyed a relatively calm fire season (please don’t let this jinx it), August has looked like Armageddon in what locals affectionately call “the Pacific North Wet.”
A record 2.3 million acres have burned in Oregon, fueled by drought, lightning and high winds. Most of those fires are burning in the east and central parts of the state, but wind pushed dense smoke into Portland last week, choking residents and leaving it with the worst air quality on the planet, according to IQAir.
Washington state hasn’t fared much better, with more than 900 homes and businesses burning in the eastern part of the state, many of them near Spokane. Over the weekend, fires exploded in the interior mountains of British Columbia, forcing 20,000 people to evacuate from the idyllic-sounding towns of Summerland and Peachland. The fire raging in the Okanagan Valley exploded “like a bomb going off,” according to the province’s elected leader.
How can this be happening in a place with so much water?
“Climate scientists have a term for this,” said my colleague Noah Haggerty, who covers wildfire in the American West. “It’s called climate whiplash.”
It happens when a period of extreme wet is followed by extreme drought. The winter moisture encourages grass and brush to grow, the summer heat and lack of rain turns all of that new growth into kindling. “The perfect fuel for wildfire,” Haggerty said.
Fantastic.
Is anywhere safe from climate catastrophe?
According to the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index, a data project from the Environmental Defense Fund and Texas A&M University, the Pacific Northwest is susceptible to wildfires (obviously), drought and flooding, especially along the coast. So that’s probably out. California and most of the sunbelt are also problematic. They have all of the issues listed above, with extreme heat added to the toxic brew.
The Upper Midwest, Vermont and New Hampshire look pretty good for now, although they, too, have choked on smoke blowing down from Canadian fires in recent years. And then there’s the prospect of everyone from the more vulnerable parts of the U.S. catching on and moving to Milwaukee, or Burlington, or Concord, as part of a climate-spurred northern migration.
“I fear Plan B might not be super workable,” Haggerty told me. “The problem is that climate change touches every corner of the planet in different ways,” Haggerty said, “often in counterintuitive ways.”
He said the best thing to do is live wherever you want but understand how climate change is going to affect that place, and adapt accordingly.
“I know that’s not a satisfying answer,” he added, therapeutically.
I confess, the Pacific Northwest has been my Plan B for years. My friends and I make annual pilgrimages to the Columbia River Gorge, on the border between Oregon and Washington. The abundance of fresh water and greenery nourishes your soul, and it’s the best kitesurfing spot in the continental U.S.
Last year, after the horrific Los Angeles fires at home, I needed the break more than ever. But as we set up our campsite on the Oregon side of the river, the Washington side was fully engulfed in flames. I was on vacation, so instead of reporting, I cracked a beer, slumped into a camp chair and watched as the helicopters and super scooper planes battled the blaze on the far bank.
Guess it’s time for Plan C.
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(Associated Press)
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Commentary and opinion
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Things to do
- 🎦 Watch as a wife finds a way in the Spielberg-poached dino-mayhem of “The End of Oak Street,” in wide release Friday.
- 🌮 Eat at this newly debuted restaurant from one of L.A.’s top taqueros that features fresh flour tortillas and mesquite meats.
- 🎧 On the latest episode of “The De Los Podcast,” listen to Latin Grammy-nominated Puerto Rican MC Álvaro Díaz talk about being kicked out of a rock band and his new album “Omakase.”
Today’s recipe
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
If you’re craving an easy, elevated classic, this “midnight spaghetti” recipe from Osteria Momma’s self-published cookbook is right for you. Lightly garlicky and filled with bites of tomato and tuna, this textured dish is perfect for dinner and a post-drinks meal.
Question for you
Which is your favorite SoCal airport? Email us at [email protected], and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
Photo of the day
A scene from Boney Island during its run at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The long-beloved Halloween attraction is coming to an end.
(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)
Games
Here’s today’s mini crossword, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jack Dolan, investigative reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
Shi Bradley, audience intern
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected]. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
