2020 U.S. Pacific West Coast wildfire disaster
Wildfires are a natural phenomenon in many ecosystems, including forests along the U.S. Pacific West Coast, as natural fires serve to rejuvenate ecological communities. However, from mid-August through mid-September 2020, forests in California, Oregon, and Washington State suffered through unprecedented wildfires caused by extreme weather events that can be attributed to climate change. By September 15, 2020, in Washington state, 700,000 acres (280,000 hectares) had burned; in Oregon, about 1 million acres (405,000 hectares) had burned; and in California, the worst-hit state, more than 7700 fires had burned 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares), damaged or destroyed more than 5000 structures, and killed at least 35 people. The single largest fire to date was the California Complex fire in Northern California, which was still raging on September 15 after it had already burned about 800,000 acres (320,000 hectares). These epic blazes have created some of the worst air pollution in the world from Seattle, Washington, to Southern California, with haze reaching as far east as New York City. See also: Air pollution; Extreme weather events; Forest fire; Global climate change; Wildfire impact on air quality