Aerial firefighters leader warns that the LA wildfires should serve as a 'wake-up' call.

The head of the United Aerial Firefighters Association stated that the ongoing wildfires in Southern California, with about 200 pilots deployed, are "totally demoralizing" and could be among the worst in the nation's history, according to Planet Chronicle Digital.

"According to Paul Petersen, who spoke on Wednesday, the current situation in the United States and globally is that there is no longer a fire season, but rather a year-round fire season. This could result in one of the deadliest and most costly fires in U.S. history."

Aerial firefighters with the association are restricted to eight-hour shifts in the air, similar to airline pilots. Nevertheless, Petersen stated that they work on 24-hour shifts. At night, pilots are equipped with night vision goggles. From the air, they relay the location of the flames to ground firefighters and drop water or retardant substances.

The association provides various aircraft, including helicopters such as Blackhawks and ACH 47 Chinooks, air tankers like Grumman S-2T and Lockheed C-130H planes, and "scooper" planes that can "scoop water from oceans, lakes and reservoirs which can be dropped as regular water or be mixed with a foam retardant," according to Cal Fire.

In Southern California, a large fleet of planes, including 60+ Cal Fire planes and helicopters, as well as three King Air A200 twin-turboprop planes and C-130 Hercules planes from the Air National Guard, are being used to fight fires.

"I've only seen the photos and spoken to fire chiefs on the ground who confirm that the damage is even worse than what you see on TV. From a firefighter's perspective, it's completely demoralizing because firefighters are there to solve problems and people call them when they need help the most. When you go in to fix the problem, you can't do it."

Over 40,000 acres and 12,300 homes have been burned in California between the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Auto Wildfires as of Wednesday, with the Palisades Fire consuming more than 23,000 acres in the Los Angeles area and being only 19% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Firefighters are angered when 13,000 homes are lost because they lacked the necessary resources to prevent it, according to Petersen.

Petersen explained that the latest fires are so devastating due to several factors. Extreme weather combined with the Santa Ana winds, which can blow at speeds of 50 to 80 miles per hour, makes it difficult to control fires. When fire is introduced into this situation, it moves rapidly, leaving people unprepared.

"Firefighters are caught off guard by communities that are not prepared for fires. When homes and entire blocks are lost, it becomes difficult to know how to stop the fire. There is no playbook for stopping a fire."

The Palisades Fire occurred despite the city's fire department having its budget cut just weeks prior, and the fire hydrants running out of water during the firefighting efforts.

"We must recognize that wildland fire is a year-round threat and invest in both fire suppression and hazardous fuels reduction to protect communities. The U.S. must take this seriously and act accordingly to prevent future wildfires."

"To effectively combat fire and suppression, it is crucial to examine local, state, and federal levels. This requires a multi-faceted approach that includes fuel treatments, logging, grazing, green stripping, and incentives from insurance companies for fire-adapted communities. All three strategies must be implemented simultaneously in order to achieve success."

"For 25 years, firefighters have been discussing the problems that have been occurring, but it takes a tragedy for people to truly become aware of this, as Petersen stated."

This week, two men were charged with felony arson in Los Angeles as authorities combat firebugs and looters amid the chaos. It is extremely unlikely that the fires were started naturally via lightning or spontaneous combustion, according to Petersen.

With high winds like the Santa Ana winds, cumulonimbus clouds don't form, which is why lightning is typically associated with weather rather than natural starts. I can confidently say that with 99% surety, it wasn't lightning that caused the event you're referring to.

The cause of the fire is likely human-caused, whether it is due to arson, carelessness from citizens, or utility companies. The wind and fire are natural events, but the cause of the fire is not natural.