The catastrophic Los Angeles County wildfires have engulfed us all over the last two weeks with widespread media coverage. For me, it has surfaced as the top headline for every media outlet, social media platform and television channel I have opened or turned on.
Yes, the wildfires in Los Angeles have been devastating, burning thousands of acres, destroying homes and forcing families to evacuate. While this happens almost every year in California, it’s becoming clearer that not everyone gets the same kind of support when disaster strikes. The way people and the government respond often depends on where you live and who you are.
For people living in the city, wildfires mean bad air quality and the loss of homes or belongings. But in rural America where farms and ranches are common, the damage can be even worse. Ranchers are losing cattle due to severity and stress, and burned fields mean there’s no vegetation for stock to eat. Farmers and ranchers are watching their family’s life’s work go up in flames, and rebuilding is more than many can handle or fathom to pay for.
Firefighters, the National Guard and volunteers are working hard to stop the fires, but the help people get depends a lot on where they live. Wealthy areas like Malibu or Beverly Hills, where celebrities and powerful people live, often get faster and more attention. Politicians show up and promises of help come quickly. In contrast, ranching communities outside the city don’t get the same level of support or media attention.
When a celebrity posts a picture of wildfire damage on social media, millions of people see it. That kind of attention pressures the government to act fast. Politicians also know they’ll get noticed if they help high-profile areas. But farmers and ranchers don’t have millions of followers or flashy homes, so their problems often get overlooked. For example, in 2017, the USDA allocated $4 million to help California farmers and ranchers recover from wildfires, while corporate and celebrity donations for urban wildfire relief can reach tens of millions of dollars in a single season. Companies such as Amazon, Disney and Google have pledged over $10 million to support the wildfire relief efforts in LA. Celebrities such as Beyoncé and Leonardo DiCaprio have pledged almost $3 million to the LA Wildfire Recovery Fund so far. This creates a big gap in how different communities recover from disasters.
This unequal response hurts everyone in the long run. Rich neighborhoods can rebuild quickly but farms and ranches take much longer to recover. When producers can’t get back on their feet, it affects more than just their families; it disrupts livelihoods, food supply chains and the economy. If these issues aren’t fixed or farmers and ranchers aren’t given a fair shake, rural communities will be even more vulnerable when the next disaster hits.
We need to make sure wildfire recovery is fair. Rural areas and ranchers should get the same attention and resources as wealthy neighborhoods. This means proper funding, level-minded policies and a willingness to listen regarding topics like saving grazing lands and helping ranchers rebuild. Disaster aid shouldn’t just be about how much a house is worth but also about the larger impact on the community and what truly puts food on the table.
Farmers and ranchers also need to make their voices heard. Groups like the California Cattlemen’s Association should continue their work with lawmakers and the media to show how wildfires affect rural areas. The more people know about these challenges and the more public support and media attention given, the more likely politicians will lean in favor of more appropriate and equitable distribution of resources.
Production agriculture is a key ingredient in everyone’s life, no matter where they come from, what they do or how they live. The products our land produces have the greatest impact on society. The wildfires in Los Angeles highlight the stark contrast in how different communities are treated during disasters; a true tale of two responses. By committing to fairer resource distribution and listening to the voices of rural communities, we can close this gap and ensure that everyone, from high-profile neighborhoods to hardworking farmers, has an equal chance to recover and rebuild. No matter your status or net worth, treating all families, communities and businesses fairly while giving an equal representation of the true effects of a disaster is the united response we ask for. — JARED PATTERSON
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