More than 115,000 hectares have burned in France this year. It is the worst fire season in recent history. Many hope this shock will finally spark action. But a 2024 study of a California megafire suggests otherwise.
The anthropologist spent seven months in Butte County after the 2018 Camp Fire. The fire destroyed six towns and killed 85 people. Her finding: two years later, residents lived a “new normal where nothing changed.” The disaster did not unite them. Instead, each person focused on protecting their own status.
Those with insurance rebuilt bigger homes. They chose large windows and added floors. These choices signaled success, not safety. Future threats reinforced fear of falling. People clung to their social position.
The researcher also saw denial at work. At the first anniversary, the fire was blamed on a power line, a neighbor, or God’s will. Drought was linked to climate change. But the fire itself was not.
Survivors suffered memory and sleep disorders. Locals call it “fire brain.” This denial crosses party lines. It comes from attachment to home and nature, but only from a distance.
The French context is different. There is less religion and less climate skepticism. But the same process could unfold.
The study offers a warning. Do not count on shock to change minds. Weeks after a fire, people argue over responsibility. Denial is not just about politics or information. It is about economic ties: mortgages, insurance, and inequality. Real change may require transforming those structures.
Reference
Le Monde, “Changement climatique: les menaces à venir renforcent la peur du déclassement et les stratégies d’ascension sociale individuelles,” published September 2, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2026/09/02/changement-climatique-les-menaces-a-venir-renforcent-la-peur-du-declassement-et-les-strategies-d-ascension-sociale-individuelles_6764465_3232.html