Question

Without people there would be no forest fires in California right now because dry vegetation CANNOT ignite, unlike what the media is telling us.

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Das ewige Geheimnis in dummdeutschen Schwurbelmedien, wie trockene Vegetation "sich entzünden" kann.

Sie tut es nie. Jemand muss sie anzünden. Es gäbe ohne Menschen zur Zeit keinen Waldbrand in Kalifornien.

Desinformation hilft nie, nicht mal einer guten Sache.

Comments

Your claim is False.

Dry vegetation does not catch fire on its own; it needs an ignition source. While humans cause many wildfires through campfires, cigarettes, and power lines, natural causes like lightning strikes can also start fires. In California, hot, dry, and windy conditions make it easier for fires to spread once ignited. Though human activity increases wildfire frequency, fires can still happen naturally. Lightning storms, rare volcanic activity, and even rockfalls creating sparks have started fires before. So while people play a big role in wildfires, it’s not true that fires wouldn’t happen without them—natural wildfires have existed for millions of years.

https://www.preventionweb.net/news/lightning-caused-wildfires-are-80-percent-more-likely-under-dry-vegetation

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While aspects of this statement are true. Yes, a majority of wildfires are caused due to human intervention but would wildfires suddenly disappear if human suddenly vacated California or areas that have frequent wildfires. The answer is clearly no, due to dry weather conditions, wind patterns and changes, and potential hazards caused by extreme weather. According to your source, an unverified account states that dry vegetation cannot be "ignited" without human intervention. I don't think this source uses credible information to justify the statement, but I believe it is trying to identify a common problem that people are not taking responsibility for potential fire hazards. The National Park Service states that untended campfires, equipment use, or discarded cigarettes' are all hazards that can cause large scale wildfires that can be prevent with a little common care. Are wildfires cause by humans? yes. Can dry vegetation be ignited by other forces than humans? Yes. Can wildfires be prevented by humans? yes.

Source: https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm

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Your claim is false, there are many factors contributing to the forrest fires in California and saying that people are the main cause is just the conveinent target.  The key factors in these specific fires are due to climate change (warmer temperatures, less rainfall, and prolonged fire seasons) there is dryer vegetaion which leads to easier ignition and abilty to spread. So I would not go as far as saying that we as humans are the whole problem, approximately 84% of wildfires do start by human activity, but there are other contributors we can look at before making as bold of a claim. Other contributors include lighting, and power lines, the additon of wind also increases the spread. So while humans are a main contributor to wildfires, there are other factors to be considered, and though humans may contribute to the spread, they also are the main species to prevent the spread.

https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/qa-causes-spread-and-solutions-californias-wildfire-crisis

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This claim is false. Especially when it comes to California Wildfires, the state is already susceptible to them due to its climate. It is unreasonable to say that without humans we would not have wildfires. According to the California Legislature's Nonpartisan Fiscal and Policy Advisor, climate change combined with California's warmer weather and limited seasonal rainfall makes it very prone to fires. There has been more housing development and increased population in these fire-prone areas, which has increased the risk of human-caused ignitions. So yes, human-activity does cause ignitions, but California's naturally warm climate, dryer climate due to climate change, and unhealthy forests are the cause of more fires than humans.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4952#:~:text=Climate%20Change.,which%20are%20prone%20to%20igniting.

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I agree that humans do play a role in starting forest fires. However, to say that they are the sole reason why forest fires happen and that dry vegetation cannot ignite is simply just not true. There are multiple studies from sources online that suggest that dry vegetation is more likely to ignite from natural causes like lighting or extreme heat. A new study in Geophysical Research Letters found that when vegetation surpasses a critical dryness threshold, lightning strikes are 80% more likely to ignite fires. This proves that your statement that dry vegetation "CANNOT ignite " without human involvement is wrong. While human activities do contribute to forest fires, natural causes like lightning remain a well documented ignition source in California.

Source: https://eos.org/editors-vox/lightning-caused-wildfires-are-80-percent-more-likely-under-dry-vegetation

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​The statement in the provided screenshot claims that forest fires are primarily caused by human activities, not climate change. While it's true that human activities, such as unattended campfires, discarded cigarettes, and arson, are significant ignition sources for wildfires, climate change plays a crucial role in exacerbating the conditions that allow these fires to start and spread more rapidly.​
en.wikipedia.org

Influence of Climate Change on Wildfires

Climate change contributes to more frequent and severe wildfires through several mechanisms:​
en.wikipedia.org

Increased Temperatures: Rising global temperatures lead to drier vegetation, creating more combustible fuel for fires.​
Extended Droughts: Climate change has been linked to prolonged drought periods, which dry out forests and make them more susceptible to burning.​
Altered Precipitation Patterns: Changes in rainfall can result in both drier conditions that facilitate fires and, conversely, heavy rains that promote vegetation growth, which later becomes dry fuel.​

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Human activity does play a big role in California wildfires, but it's not true that dry vegetation can’t catch fire on its own. Lightning strikes have started wildfires for thousands of years, even before humans were involved. In fact, lightning is one of the main natural causes of wildfires, especially in dry areas where plants can easily catch fire.

Answer 1

The claim comes from a meteorologist who made a post on Bluesky. Although he is a meteorologist, according to the National Park Service gov website. 85% of forest fires are man-made. Even though this is true, the Frontline Wildfire Defense says that 69% of acres burned are caused by lightning. Another big issue with forest fires is dry vegetation and intense sunlight caused by droughts and climate change. This right here destroys the argument that vegetation cannot ignite without people.