Part of living through climate collapse is that we will all, periodically, have wildfire smoke blowing in from somewhere.
Since about a week ago, forests in Canada, from British Columbia in the west to Quebec and Nova Scotia in the east, have been on fire. These disasters know no borders; the smoke from these fires has made it as far south as the Pacific Northwest and the Eastern Seaboard.
Wildfires are cyclical, and that means the smoke from them is, too. Fire burns an area clean, leaving it ready for fresh growth; subsequent rains, besides causing debris flows, also begin the phase of new growth. Enough of that growth, especially coupled with drought that increases its flammability, creates the conditions for another wildfire.
Which is to say that even when historic fire seasons such as those in 2020 and 2021 are behind us, that doesn’t mean that dealing with smoke is behind us in any permanent sense. There will be another wildfire, and we will have smoke again. And this is true for everyone, everywhere.
The knowledge that we in California have gained from our encounters with wildfire smoke is knowledge that we can share with others. As we learned in 2018, 2020, and 2021, and folks on the East Coast learned this year, folks in cities are not exempt—wildfire smoke can blow into your area wherever you are.
Wherever you live, you will have smoke in your area in your future. Prepare now, and stay prepared, so that when it happens, you and your family have the best chance of making it through unharmed.
Read about preparing for wildfire smoke on our blog.
If you’re interested in participating in activities like drafting letters to our Members of Congress and developing our strategy for influencing them, the Indivisible SF Federal Working Group is where it happens.
Indivisible SF Federal Working Group: Thursday, June 22, 7:30–9 PM. Planning meeting where we discuss strategy to influence our Members of Congress and the Biden administration to enact a progressive agenda. Meeting starts promptly at 7:30 PM. All are welcome. Register here!
Juneteenth SF Freedom Celebration: Saturday, June 17, 11 AM–6 PM, Fillmore St from Geary to Fulton. Come to the Fillmore District to commemorate Juneteenth. The Freedom Celebration will span eight city blocks featuring dozens of retail and food vendors, free carnival rides and games, free block party and music concert plus much more. RSVP for free on Eventbrite.
About this week’s photo
If you’ve seen our newsletter posts on Twitter and Facebook, you might have noticed that we include a photo or graphic with each issue.
This week’s image is a photo by Eric Risberg for the Associated Press of a ferry traveling away from the City, used in a 2018 article in The Atlantic about how people experiencing homelessness aren’t able to shelter from smoke.
