#3. Southern California Forest Fires
California has been ravaged by wildfires for thousands of years; they're
an essential part of the natural ecosystem. But the fires that burned
hundreds of square miles between Oct. 20 and Nov. 6 — at the
disaster's peak, 18 separate fires were burning, the worst of them in San
Diego County — killing 10 people and forcing at least half a million more
from their homes, weren't entirely natural. At least one, the Santiago
Canyon blaze, was deliberately set, while two others — the Witch and Rice
Canyon fires — were caused by downed power lines that ignited surrounding
brush. Whether that brush should have been more thoroughly cleared, and
whether people should be permitted to build homes in remote, fire-prone
areas, are now matters of active debate, to say nothing of lawsuits.