The Cause of the LA Fires Might Never Be Known—but AI Is Hunting for Clues
1 min read
Summary
Officials investigating the recent spate of wildfires that have devastated southern California are unsure of the causes of the fires.
In most cases, fires are caused by an unintentional human ignition source such as helical lights, campfires or cigarettes, however, the intensity and speed of the wildfires has been reportedly unprecedented.
Other anecdotes suggest that the wildfires could potentially have been started by arson but this has not been proven.
Authorities are facing increasing challenges in fighting wildfires.
For example, as the wildfires grow, they create their own wind and weather patterns which makes them even harder to predict and control.
This comes at a time when large fires are posing increasingly big problems; a study showed that of all the wildfires in the western US between 1992 and 2020, 52% of them are still unsolved.
As these wildfires become more intense and frequent, more resources and efforts are needed to fight them.