Over the past few weeks, many wildfires have been ravaging Northern California, ranging from the city of Santa Rosa to Sonoma. These fires have led to more than 5,700 structures and 213,000 acres being burned, resulting in detrimental effects to the environment. Author Kirk Johnson spreads awareness about the issue of detrimental effects caused by the recently burned homes through his use of logic and reasoning, while also comparing past catastrophic events to the recent California fires. The article begins with an image of “people digging into the ashes of their burned homes without gloves, wearing only shorts and T-shirts, [which] survived California’s horrific wildfires.” The dichotomy between “horrific fires” and “shorts and T-shirts” emphasizes people’s negligence in the face of the dangers of the burned home, while also reasons the apparent dangers behind these people’s actions, which Johnson tries to address. To accomplish this, Johnson discusses many reasons why the recent wildfires can be harmful to the environment and …show more content…
For instance, Johnson lists “all the hazardous materials [that may be] in houses” that have burned-down, such as “chemicals”, “pesticides”, “propane”, “gasoline”, “plastic”, and “paint”, which “concentrate in the ash, and it’s toxic.” This explanation provides a clear image of the dangers of recently burned-houses and the environment around them, which segways into the public service announcement Johnson is trying to deliver: recently burned down houses are dangerous. Johnson then further elaborates how the dangers can be combated through adherence to the CDRRR or if individuals decide to combat it on their own, they can do so through an “approved contractor, if one is available.” For those individuals, Johnson adds, according to “Dr. Relucio, Napa County’s public health director”, they “should