'Third world' woes, California burnin'

Climate change is bringing 'third world' woes to 'first world' places. Wildfires raging in California's LA county are a grim testament to this. Within hours, fast-moving flames devoured nearly 3,000 acres, forcing celebrities to leave their hillside mansions, and cancelling film premieres across one of the world's most affluent territories that include Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena and Sylmar. It's a national calamity.

At the root of this devastation lies climate change and poor forest management. Warmer-than-average temperatures, exacerbated by Santa Ana winds, have created a treacherous mix. These fierce desert gusts, though typical in autumn, have grown more intense, coinciding ominously with an extended drought. LA has seen barely a drop of rain since last May, leaving its famed coastal scrub and palm trees tinder dry. When towering palms - not native to the region but for ornamental reasons, including to give Palm Springs its name - ignite, they fling embers far and wide, turning neighbourhoods into infernos. Experts now insist it's time to refocus on keeping forests open and thin through vegetation clearing and removing hazardous trees like palms. Add to these, 'third world' woes: population spikes and poorly maintained electric cable lines.

The fury of wildfires underscores a harsh reality, and a lesson for the world's second-largest polluter: while we may not control the climate, we can control our preparedness. Ground-level action and strategic investments in fire prevention, sustainable urban planning and resilient infra are non-negotiable, no matter developed or developing status. India, familiar with its own set of climate and natural disaster crises, should reach out to the US for any kind of help it needs.