Explain what you saw in the film to talk to your family and friends about wildfires and climate change in California?

With last fall’s outbreak of wildfires in California, Oregon, and Washington–and summertime temperatures and extended drought coming sooner than later to Southern California this year–it’s important to consider the impacts of wildfires.
We often think of climate change impacts as a distant threat, some time in the future, not really anything to concern ourselves with at this time. But, in fact, climate change in 2020 brought deadly and costly wildfires, heatwaves, floods (and accompanying mudslides), drought, pests (insects and diseases), and sea-level rise to our doorsteps.
There will certainly be books written and documentaries produced about the 2020 western wildfires. But in fact they will only add to the piles of books and documentaries that already exist about climate-charged wildfires.
Perhaps no better example underscores the threat from climate change than the wildfire that killed 86 people in Paradise, California, in November 2018, the Camp Fire. (Fires are named for the locations where they start. The Camp Fire was named for Camp Creek Road, its point of origin.)
A Frontline documentary released a year ago, Fire in Paradise, details the painful and tragic consequences of supercharged fire seasons and our lack of preparedness (even when we are prepared) for what’s to come. This assignment covers that event as told in this sobering documentary.
For this discussion activity, complete the following:
Watch the complete video…twice even. Watch it with someone and talk about it.
Write down facts from the video, along with your thoughts and impressions.
Answer the following in thoughtful and complete sentences for a total of no less than 400 words:
How did the video make you feel regarding your own level of preparedness for a disaster (including earthquakes)?
How did the video and the current record-setting wildfires make you feel regarding your level of conviction that climate change is real? A threat? Something to be dealt with now?
How would you use what you have now experienced and what you saw in the film to talk to your family and friends about wildfires and climate change in California?
What things have you done and what more can you do to increase your level of preparedness for disasters, such as wildfires and earthquakes?

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