2020 had proven to be a challenging and even grim year for many people across the United States. From the pandemic to rioting in some cities to massive wildfires in California, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, the year has been one for the record books – and not in a positive way. As of Sunday evening, September 13, the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest alone had turned that part of the country into a danger zone for reasons beyond the brutal blazes. Massive clouds of dangerous smoke hung over the entire region, posing serious health risks to millions of people.
In Oregon alone, firefighters are valiantly trying to contain more than 30 wildfires across the state. They do report that they have made modest advances in controlling some of these blazes. Little to no progress has been made in combating a number of these horrific fires. One of the Oregon fires stretches 55 miles wide and has destroyed an area the size of the state of Rhode Island.
The air quality across the entire state of Oregon was listed as hazardous or very unhealthy, ratings that are expected to continue into the coming week. According to the National Weather Service, the agency that issues air quality advisories, these are the most dangerous air quality levels.
Hazardous air quality is an issue in other states as well. The air quality is hazardous in San Francisco. Residents of the City by the Bay has been directed to stay in their homes and block air from seeing into their homes.
Smoke is so thick over the city of Seattle that the director of the Clean Energy Transition Institute in that city has remarked that “the sun doesn’t seem to rise or set. The sky gets a little bit brighter and a little bit darker and that’s how you know the day is starting or ending.”
Smoke Plumes Illustrate Dangers to Public not Only from Wildfires but from Other Explosions
There are lessons to be learned from the smoke plumes and clouds generated by the Pacific Northwest wildfires, as well as from the blazes destroying vast acreages in California and Colorado. These are lessons that extend beyond these wildfires to different types of explosions that cause hazardous smoke and gas plumes. These include gas pipeline explosions and industrial accidents that not only cause immediate damage on the ground by can generate prolonged and serious health risks as a result of smoke and gas spewed into the air.
A look at explosion statistics in the United States illustrate how commonplace these types of incidents really are from coast to coast. These include everything from natural gas pipeline explosions that rock neighborhoods every year to industrial and plant explosions that rip through facilities of different types annually. The overall number of explosions in the United States for the past eight years are:
2012 – 1,242
2013 – 1,157
2014 – 912
2015 – 630
2016 – 699
2017 – 687
2018 – 706
2019 – 715
These explosions result in tragic losses on a number of levels including serious and even fatal injuries. Some of these injuries occur as a direct result of these blasts; other serious and fatal injuries occur as a result of exposure to hazardous smoke and gas plumes that spew from these flood the atmosphere as a result of these incidents.
Your Legal Rights after a Fire or Explosion
If you’ve been injured in as the result of a fire or explosion caused by the negligence of someone else, an explosion accident lawyer from The Doan Law Firm stands ready to fight tirelessly for you to obtain justice and the compensation you deserve. You can schedule a consultation with an experienced explosion accident lawyer any time by calling (800) 349-0000.
A nationwide law firm, we can schedule an initial consultation at any one of our 40 offices located across the country. We can also arrange a virtual consultation and case evaluation online. There is no charge for an initial consultation and case evaluation with one of our committed, tenacious explosion accident attorneys.
The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee guarantee to you. We never charge an attorney fee unless we win for you.