How California Wildfires Compare to the Australian Bushfires

Burn Damage Caused By Wildfires

It is impossible to ignore the current state of the Australian wildfires. 
As many California residents can attest, our state has been victim to a myriad of wildfires and firestorms throughout the years. Uncontrollable blazes have cost the Golden State millions of dollars in losses and claimed the lives of several residents. According to a report from 2019, over 6,872 California wildfires were reported and thousands of dollars in damages were documented.

If you’ve been injured in a fire, please contact a personal injury lawyer at West Coast Trial Lawyers for a free review of your case. In this article, we will compare the losses created by this year’s wildfires versus the current state of the Australian inferno.

2019 California Wildfires 
Just weeks before the year ended, approximately 180,000 evacuees were able to return to their homes after the two major wildfires of this year were finally tamed. The Kincade Fire in Northern California started on October 23 and burned over 78,000 acres, which is almost double the total size of San Francisco. 

These fires destroyed over 374 homes and buildings, as well as over 40 other structures. Though there were no fatalities, 2 firefighters were injured due to burns. 

Subsequently, another major wildfire brewed on October 31 in Southern California. The Maria Fire scorched over 9,999 acres and forced over 11,000 people to evacuate. High-pressure winds carried flames throughout Ventura, and it took six days and 500 firefighters to contain the blaze. Though the source of the Maria Fire has yet to be discovered, Southern California Edison is under investigation, as they re-energized a 16,00-volt powerline in the area only 13 minutes before the blaze began.

The Australian Inferno
Many attribute climate change to the recent flux of Australian wildfires because the country started its fire season in July of this year. 24 lives were lost and over 2,000 residences were destroyed in New South Wales alone. Australian wildfires have terrorized the region and bled through areas like Melbourne, Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Currently, there are over 100 fires still burning in New South Wales. 

Australian wildfires caused the death of millions of animals and destroyed about a third of the koala population in New South Wales. According to reports, about 30% of koalas may have been killed in the fire. Federal authorities are presently in a state of emergency as they attempt to subdue the fires. There are over 2,000 firefighters working in NSW alone, while other countries such as New Zealand and Canada lend much needed support. 

West Coast Trial Lawyers Can Help You Increase Your Burn Injury Settlement

Reported California Burn Deaths in 2019	Reported Australia Burn Deaths in 2019
During 2019, there were three reported deaths in California due to burn injuries.	There are currently 24 deaths that have been recorded due to the Australian fires.

In 2018, California experienced the worst wildfire in its history. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection stated it was, “the deadliest and most destructive wildfire season on record”,  and reports state that approximately 2 million acres were destroyed. In 2019, an estimated 259,823 acres of California land was destroyed. In Australia, a reported 14.6 million acres were destroyed in 2019 due to brush fires.

We at West Coast Trial Lawyers offer our deepest condolences to anyone suffering from a burn injury. If you are a loved one suffered injuries in a burn accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Talk to a California Burn Injury lawyer at our firm for a free consultation by calling (213) 927-3700 or emailing at [email protected].