
Liv Jules
The wildfire epidemic and how the City of Angels made him sick

The weather usually affects our day-to-day lives. However, we do not typically think about how it will make us feel that day. Unfortunately, this was the case for Nik Uka, while living in California.
Uka lived in Manhattan Beach, California in 2019. Manhattan Beach is located in Los Angeles county, where wildfires have flourished in the past and present.
“I have family there, so I decided to go for the summer,” said Uka.
Nik Uka looking at the storefronts (left) and skateboarding (right) on the beach on Friday, Aug. 23, 2019 (left) and Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019 (right).
According to the Insurance Information Institute, there were 50,477 California wildfires in 2019. Since January, there have already been 47,057 this year.
“I knew I would be back in Michigan soon,” Uka said. “I figured I would have nothing but good experiences ahead of me if I went there for the summer.”

As we know, weather is unpredictable. In California, it is almost impossible to know what tomorrow will feel like. Or what it will look like.
Hiking in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, with dry air and dead leaves (left). Outside Nik Uka's home in Sterling Heights, Michigan on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021 with vibrant leaves (right). The California air is poor due to the ongoing wildfires.
“I realized very early into my time there, that each day is going to look different,” Uka said. “Some days the sun was shining, and other days there was an orange, gray tint in the atmosphere.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful there, but the difference in how it used to be is concerning.” Uka said.
California wildfires are vastly spread out, but scatter very fast. With the ongoing droughts that are hard to manage in the state, it’s becoming worse, as the effects on climate change start to expand.
According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, climate change increases the odds of worsening drought. Although a fire needs a spark to ignite it, the California wildfires are climate-driven.
“On the brightside, we never had to evacuate during my time there,” Uka said. “Although sometimes the air quality would get so bad that they would send out an Emergency SOS.”

According to The New York Times, the link between climate change and wildfires is impossible to separate.
“It wasn’t until after my first month there I started feeling sick,” Uka said. “I didn’t think anything of it at first, until I realized each day I never felt better or worse.”
Exposing oneself to poor air quality will result in symptoms, primarily mocking the cold and flu.

According to UC Berkeley, breathing in wildfire smoke and unhealthy air will affect someone’s health and wellbeing. Wildfire smoke is a mix of gases and particles of burning materials, which will make anyone sick.
Some symptoms one may feel include:
Coughing
Trouble breathing normally
Stinging eyes
A scratchy throat
Runny nose
Irritated sinuses
Wheezing and shortness of breath
Chest pain
Headaches
An asthma attack
Tiredness
Fast heartbeat
Uka experienced cold-like symptoms.

“I had an ongoing dry cough, runny nose and headaches almost every day,” Uka said. “The more I exposed myself, the more I became used to feeling that way.”
Uka was still able to explore the "City of Angels", despite the conflict in his prior expectations.

“Luckily, we still were able to go sightseeing, and hiking up near the Hollywood sign,” Uka said.
“I couldn’t help but think if I was feeling so terrible in three months,” Uka said. “I can’t imagine how my family is feeling, living like this every day.”

California has a history of wildfire outbreaks since before the 1950s.
“At this point, they must be used to feeling sick all the time,” Uka said. “I just worry that it will never get better for them."
Uka has family of all ages living in Los Angeles county.

“I can’t imagine my family getting used to coughing every day, having a sore throat every week and stepping on trash every time they walk the beach they call home...” Uka said.

“... but it’s gone on for so long.”

There are many organizations that help to fight wildfires and climate change before the effects become irreversible.
We can join Nik Uka in trying to make this world a healthier place.
The place that we, as humans, destroyed.

For a better place. For a healthier place.
For the Earth that once had such natural beauty.