The Park Fire, a 399,000-acre wildfire in Northern California, quickly became the fourth largest in state history, prompting evacuations in four counties.
The fire, which officials say was started by arson, has grown over the past week as the western U.S. faces what could be another powerful wildfire season. A combination of strong vegetation due to heavy rainfall in recent years, and high temperatures this summer could mean larger wildfires in the coming months.
These conditions all contributed to the extent of the Park Fire, which had already done more than damage 500 structuresand sit at least 8,000 people under evacuation orders. For another sense of scale, the fire has grown so large that it is visible from space and now covers more square footage than the entire city of Los Angeles.
The Park Fire follows numerous other large fires that have devastated the US in recent years, including in Hawaii in 2023, California in 2021and Montana in 2017. It’s the latest disaster to highlight how deeply fires can affect communities across the US and the urgent need for better policies to help navigate potential displacement.
In 2023, 2.5 million Americans had to leave their home temporarily or permanently due to a natural disaster, according to the US Census Bureau, and the agency’s current estimates suggest at least 500,000 more have been displaced so far this year. Vulnerable groups including low-income households, people over the age of 65, and Black and Hispanic Americans, are among those more likely to be displaced as a result of these phenomena.
The consequences of the Park Fire and those of a growing number natural disasters, some of which are linked to climate change, highlight the urgent need for more federal support for recovery and how these incidents are exacerbating existing housing crises.
How evacuations work
Those who have to evacuate during the Park Fire, and others like it, are forced to seek shelter with friends or family, at a hotel or at an evacuation center set up by the affected provinces. Typically, evacuations are led by the affected county or city, which is responsible for notifying residents as the situation becomes more urgent.
Evacuation orders can come at any time, including in the middle of the night. Law enforcement is usually in charge of notifying people and warning neighborhoods, and may use cars and sirens. They also provide updates via television, radio and social media. Many counties have text-based emergency alert systems that residents can sign up for to get mobile updates about a disaster.
Those who live in areas at high risk of wildfires are often encouraged to have an evacuation plan ready, including a go-bag with essentials such as water and a flashlight, charged devices and fuel in their cars. Those who can leave on their own in their vehicles are encouraged to do so quickly in the event of an evacuation order and to get out of the areas affected by the fires, as indicated on maps released by the counties.
Countries can also designate meeting points for people to come together if they cannot leave on their own or if roads are blocked. Officials then coordinate emergency routes that people can use, along with transportation to shelters.
Depending on how long it will take to contain and address the fire, evacuees could be in limbo for days to weeks, unsure of the status of their homes. It is a stressful and devastating feeling for many waiting to hear if their homes survived the disaster.
Once the imminent danger is over and the fire is contained, officials assess when it’s safe for people to return, said Tom Cova, a professor of geography at the University of Utah who has studied wildfire evacuation systems. This includes screening the area for toxins left by the fire and other hazards such as power lines and propane tanks.
If deemed safe, people may be allowed to return to the area and assess the potential damage, or may only be allowed to drive back, viewing their homes from their cars, due to the health risks of residual smoke and debris.
Those whose homes were destroyed and who are permanently displaced by the disaster face a much longer and much more complicated journey to rebuild or relocate.
Insurance can help offset some of those costs, although some former Maui evacuees noted that such funds were only sufficient to to cover rent temporarily.
In certain areas where there is a high risk of wildfires, Homeowners insurance may not cover wildfires because of how expensive these disasters have become for these companies, putting the onus of rebuilding on the owners. In addition to construction, families also face the cost of securing alternative housing while they wait during a process that can take months to years.
Disasters highlight gaps in aid and housing
Disasters like the Park Fire underscore the gaps that currently exist in federal aid for recovery and the already challenging housing shortages.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the central distributor of rebuilding aid grants that people can apply for, but these programs can have strict requirements – including specific thresholds for damage — which not everyone meets. People who can get insurance funds can also be prevented from receiving some of this help. Often the aid provided is not sufficient to address the full cost of rebuilding. According to a 2020 report from the Government Accountability OfficeThe average amount of aid individuals received from FEMA between 2010-2019 was $3,522.
States like California does fill some of the gaps by offering benefits such as free garbage removal services to homeowners, and agencies including the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development also has loan programs for rebuilding. In general, the assistance needed is greater than what is available and can place those who lose their homes in an economically vulnerable position.
“The aid Americans receive after disasters is not only inadequate, it’s complicated to navigate and painfully slow to arrive,” writes Samantha Montano, an emergency management professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. for the New York Times. “From the amount of time it takes to fully recover – measured in years, not months – to the maze of policies, regulations, false promises and lawsuits, the reward for surviving a disaster in a system so brutal that it a second disaster.”
The solution, Montano argues, is to bolster resources for FEMA, which faced a funding shortfall in 2023, and for states to develop better recovery plans that include boosts to their budgets and dedicated management. Many of these challenges are evidenced by the response to the Lahaina wildfires in Maui. Families displaced by those fires continued to move into temporary housing about six months since that disaster.
Another issue that these disasters draw attention to is the housing challenges that people already face in places affected by them. A 2018 fire in Paradise, California, for example, destroyed around 14,000 houses and exacerbated a housing shortage in the region. In Plumas County, one of the four provinces hit by the Parkfire, there is also already a shortage of affordable homes for low-income households. Any additional damage as a result of the Parkfire could widen these gaps considerably.
