Millions of Californians face wildfire risks near oil wells

Millions of Californians live near oil and gas wells that are increasingly in the path of wildfires, raising concerns about explosions, pollution and infrastructure damage.

Hayley Smith reports for Los Angeles Times.

In short:

• More than 100,000 oil wells in the western US, mainly in California, are at high risk of wildfires.
• Nearly 3 million people live within 3,200 feet of these wells, facing heightened health and safety risks.
• Historic and projected data show a significant increase in wildfire threats to oil infrastructure.

Key quote:

“One of the things that surprised me was just the extent of how many oil wells had been in wildfire burn areas in the past, and how much this was impacting people in California — and is likely to in the coming century.”

— David J.X. González, assistant professor of environmental health sciences at UC Berkeley

Why this matters:

Wildfires near oil wells pose serious health risks and environmental hazards. With climate change intensifying wildfires, protective measures and regulations become increasingly urgent.