Spreading Like a Wildfire
Wildfires have taken over the Pacific Northwest, but the whole country has felt the effects. Started from a gender reveal party gone wrong, they were then escalated by the abnormally high temperatures and humidity that California was experiencing. Fires have quickly spread to Oregon and Washington, destroying thousands of homes and unfortunately killing a few people. These fires have captured the attention of the whole country, who feel hopeless as they are watching these tragic fires take over. Whether they have family living there, are advocates for bringing awareness to climate change, or even worry about the people in the Pacific Northwest, almost everyone is staying up to date and sharing information on the fires.
The virality of the fires comes from many different sources. They both trigger people and cause a great deal of emotions. They have become a major topic among people who are working to prevent climate change and care about the environment. Petitions, information, and resources are being shared across social media because people are passionate about preventing something like this from happening again in the future. They are affected emotionally and it is triggering them to automatically think of how the rapid spread of the fires links back to the effects climate change has had on California and the surrounding areas.
The information on the fires is also being spread through word of mouth. If someone has family or friends living in the area, they are most likely checking in on them and asking them their personal experiences with what is happening. My brother and his girlfriend currently live in Seattle, Washington and have been keeping us updated on how the area they live in is affected, which we then pass on to others. If the fires are brought up in conversation, I find I will bring up what my brother has told me and even show pictures he has sent to my family. Through word of mouth, his experience is being spread to people on the opposite side of the country and they are being informed on information the media may not be covering.
2020 has been a year that has had one tragic event after the next. It seems as though things can not get any worse, and people were heartbroken to learn of these fires. The stories are being told across the country because of the emotions it is stirring up in people. Environmental activists are triggered by these events and then bring up the topic of climate change. It is a topic of many discussions now and stories are being shared nationwide, through both social media and word of mouth. The fires have gone viral across the country.
