Los Angeles has been witnessing a doomsday-like atmosphere for multiple days as Hollywood is burning due to the wildfire. LA Fires or Los Angeles Wildfire has brought the world's attention to the most developed nation's inability to contain the wild inferno. The fire in Los Angeles in the US state of California has forced people to spend the night on the road. At least 10,000 houses have been burnt in this fire and that includes Hollywood celebrities. So far 11 people have died due to the Los Angeles wildfire.
However, despite the flames and the atmosphere filled with smog, Los Angeles AQI is considered better than multiple cities of India including the national capital New Delhi. As per IQAir, the Air Quality Index of LA on January 11 at 11:30 am (IST) was 63 which comes under the moderate category. At the same time, Apple Weather App reported New Delhi's AQI was 361 i.e. under the 'Very Poor' category. Jalandhar's AQI at the same time was also 313 i.e. Very Poor category.
Now, the question arises as to why Los Angeles is witnessing better AQI than Indian cities despite multiple days of wildfire.
NDTV reported that this is possibly due to the wind velocity blowing over the LA. It quoted a user who wrote on X, "Wind direction is the cause, people burn parali in Haryana and Punjab, and effect is seen in Delhi, same wind caused havoc by supporting its spread and also protected air quality!"
Another user wrote, "While Delhi aqi is truly awful, I don't think the comparison with a coastal city with heavy winds is very accurate."
Los Angeles Wildfire
Coming back to the LA Wildfires, five fires are still burning in Los Angeles. For the last 4 days, the fire has spread in about 40 thousand acres. Out of 40 thousand acres of land, 29 thousand acres have been completely burnt.
Santa Ana wind is increasing rapidly and, the direction is also changing. Therefore, the fire is taking the areas where a large population lives. Los Angeles's sunset Bulleward is engulfed in flames. These winds are believed to be the reason for taking such a big form of fire.
What are the common reasons for wildfires?
Notably, wildfires can be caused by both natural as well as artificial factors. Talking about natural factors, lightning is the most common cause of wildfires. In higher elevations, lightning sometimes strikes dry vegetation, which sparks a fire that can easily become uncontrollable, particularly when fueled by dry winds.
The report also mentioned the artcifial factor quoting an expert. The expert stated that in cities with roads near wildlife, such as in Southern California, it is very common for vehicles to unknowingly ignite a fire.
Sometimes, strong winds can hit power lines, causing them to move which can also ignite wildfires. Even campfires, if not extinguished properly, can lead to a huge wildfire.