.png)
.jpg)
WEEK - 1 DECEMBER 1 TO DECEMBER 7
Sudan Factory Blast
Dhruv Dutta
The Sudanese capital of Khartoum on the 3rd of December witnessed an unexpected tragedy when an LPG tanker exploded at the Seela ceramics factory in the Bahri area. A fire broke out almost immediately following the explosion and was responsible for elevating the crisis even further. The chaos that ensued because of it ended in claiming the lives of twenty-three people who were at the time in the Industrial area. Over one hundred thirty people were left injured, with a few of them in a critical state. The casualties to this unfaithful event were mainly employees, many of whom were of different nationalities. It unfortunately also included a total of eighteen Indians, who lost their lives to the explosion as reported by the Indian Embassy. There were a lot many other Indians who were left severely injured and hospitalized as per reports. Prime Minister Modi and even External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed how deeply grief-stricken they were to have learned of this tragic mishap, through their posts on Twitter. The Indian Embassy in Sudan rendered help to the casualties in every way they could. It even issued a detailed list of the number of Indians who were hospitalized, went missing or were able to survive the calamity. According to the list, there were seven Indians who were hospitalized, with four of them in critical condition.
The cause of the fire was mainly due to no maintenance of proper safety measures, and equipment that could have prevented incidents altogether. The Sudanese government in a statement claimed, that the factory along with its lack of adequate safety measures also did not properly store its flammable materials. There should be a periodical and thorough inspection of safety equipment in industrial areas to avoid such tragic mishappenings in the future. As unfortunate as the incident was, The Indian Embassy in Sudan should be commended for its efforts in aiding many Indian casualties, who were left helpless because of their injuries. The embassy not only assisted in the hospitalization of several gravely injured Indians but also provided shelter to many of the survivors.
Gotabaya Rajapaksha’s New Delhi Visit- Is it Towards Greater Relationship Between Colombo and New Delhi?
Omkar Mane
New Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksha, visited the Indian capital New Delhi, for his maiden visit. His visit to New Delhi comes at a backdrop of rising Chinese investments in the island nation and the strained relations between New Delhi and Colombo.
The Sri Lankan president has announced to amend the misunderstandings between the two countries, and he has also promised to be “frank” and “upfront” about the relationship. He also suggested that India and other countries should invest more in Sri Lanka to curb the growing Chinese clout. The president also informed about the issue of rights for Tamil-majority regions and said that he intends to focus on the development of the region and not for political issues. The president said he hopes for increased cooperation with its neighbor, i.e. India on national security and terrorism, as Sri Lanka is still reeling from the Easter Sunday attacks, which the Islamic State has claimed responsibility.
India showed its willingness to mend the fractured relationship with Indian Prime Minister NarendraModi extending a $400 million line of credit to the country to help strengthen its infrastructure and economy. An additional $50 million, to help the country combat terrorism was also announced. India also reaffirmed its “Neighbourhood First” policy and the Indian Prime Minister also said that Sri Lanka and India will work closely to ensure that the Indian Ocean remains a peace zone. The Sri Lankan president reciprocated to this by saying that he would take steps to release fishing boats belonging to India.
To sum up, the visit can lessen the animosity between New Delhi and Colombo, increase the bilateral trade between the two neighbors and increase the stability in the Indian Ocean region. Though these initiatives sound great on paper, the actual implementation of these is what will guide the Indo-Sri Lanka relations to the next level.
French Nationwide Strike Over Pension Reforms
Tanishk Saxena
On 5 December 2019, France encountered one of the biggest strikes in decades, against pension reforms that have not yet been brought to Parliament. These strikes are preventative, as previous attempts for pension reforms had met strong opposition and faced weeks of demonstrations. Then, President Jacques Chirac ended up caving in to union demands, and about a year ago France was embroiled in Yellow Vest Protest. Consequently, this protest does not seem to have an end date soon.
Before the 2017 French Election, President Emmanuel Macron had promised for pension reforms, as he believes they are unfair, complex and costly. According to OECD data, this system costs France 14% of countries GDP making it the most expensive in the world
Currently, 42 different pension plans exist, which vary according to profession and region, leading workers to be entitled to get full pension before the retirement age of 62. The new reforms would mean that pensioners that have contributed for the same amount would have equal rights. Thus, not every worker is unhappy about the expected pension reforms, those with high paying jobs and also people that enter and leave work often will be winners of a point-based system while for others they have to work longer into old age or see their pension reduced.
It is unclear how Macron reacts to strike as an opinion poll predicted 69% of public supported protest rather than the government, according to the BBC.
Kamala Harris withdraws from US Presidential Race
Soham Joshi
On 3rd December Kamala Harris surprised everyone by withdrawing her from the US presidential race. She was considered a strong candidate with a polling peak of 15 percent.
“I’m not a billionaire. I can’t fund my campaign. And as the campaign has gone on, it’s become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete,” she wrote. “In good faith, I can’t tell you, my supporters and volunteers that I have a path forward if I don’t believe I do.”
She was often compared with Obama and many thought she could win the Democratic nomination. However, Harris made some mistakes as she tried to appease the far left side of the democrats, only to realize that kind of core support base won’t be enough. In the middle of her campaign, she tried to adopt a centrist approach but wasn’t able to get a lot of ground.
Her withdrawal has sparked intense debate about the funding of a presidential race and how strong and deserving candidates cannot contest because of financial resources. Many commentators have agreed that running for the office has become an elite business. You can have a chance at it if you are rich or have rich contacts.
Harris often questioned if America was ready for a lady president of colour. Her questions can be vindicated now as 6 democratic candidates who have qualified for the debate are white.
Kamala Harris’s political career is far from over. If a Democrat wins the presidential race she could be a VP or an attorney general. She has emerged as a strong candidate in her electoral district of California.
Burkina Faso church attacks
Sooraj Kashyap
A group of twenty people attacked a church service killing fourteen people during a Catholic Church service. According to reports, this is the second attack in the past two weeks in the West African country. The attack took place in Dabo, where the gunmen barged in he service at 9 A.M. and opened fired at people.
The attacks are made out to be hate crimes against the Catholics, according to the mayor of Dabo as the gunmen after the shooting went on to set the church on fire, along with two other nearby shops. The mayor believes the country is being overrun by jihads. The people of the country are getting increasingly sceptical about the future as the number of extremists and attacks is increasing day by day, suggesting a larger problem.
In April there was a similar attack in a church at Silgadji, where five Christians were killed in a shooting at a Protestant church. The attacks were either conducted by the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) or the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. These attacks on the north side of Burkina Faso started right after there were reports of the ISIS fighters moving down to West African countries.
WEEK - 2: DECEMBER 8 TO DECEMBER 15
Trump meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Simran Kothari
President Trump had just fired his then FBI director, James Comey, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last visited the White House in May 2017. At that time, Trump joyfully removed pressure from an inquiry into whether his campaign had ties to Moscow. Nevertheless, it had the opposite effect, fanning its actions in Russia with political fire.
Two and a half years later, Lavrov visited the White House again on December 10, amid all the impeachment chaos, and the agenda of Trump's relations with Russia continues to be in the spotlight. There was no clear word on what President Trump is intending to speak about with Lavrov, who visited State Secretary Mike Pompeo in Washington. However, it will be under scrutiny as, in 2017 President Trump allegedly shared highly classified information with the Russian foreign minister. Trump's opponents have also criticized his lenient attitude towards Moscow, despite Russia operating in a cross-cutting manner, meddling in the 2016 Presidential elections, annexing part of Ukraine and supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Top American officials opine that the talks are likely to centre on "the status of bilateral relations." Trump stated that he would like to cooperate with Russia to curb the nuclear ambitions of North Korea.
Currently, President Trump is undergoing an enquiry with regards to abuse of his powers. It is speculated that President Trump pressured Ukrainian President Zelensky to dig information on his rival candidate for 2020 Presidential elections, Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. There is also controversy around President Trump withholding military aid to Ukraine and basing its release on the investigation of his political rivals. Lavrov's mission also coincides with the meetings arranged by Paris in eastern Ukraine between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
COP25 Meeting Held At Madrid
Merin Susan Suresh
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) was held from December 2 to December 13 in Madrid, Spain under the Presidency of Chile. The Conference of Parties which brings states, NGOs and observers together to discuss and decide what is to be done about the climate crisis.
The COP meeting witnessed the rich countries going back on the promise of appropriating finances for the large scale emissions. The meeting also failed to come up with an agreement on carbon market rules, with countries calling upon nations of the Global North for their inadequate participation in the climate action process. Tuvalu, an independent island nation in the South Pacific called upon the US for acting as a stumbling block in releasing funds for loss and damage. Two of Tuvalu’s nine islands are under risk of being submerged if necessary and immediate action is not taken. A major cause for concern was the fact that countries responsible for about 80 percent of the emissions and damages remained silent while smaller nations belonging to the Global South announced that they would work on reducing their emissions. The Australian Government received a lot of criticism, from around the world as well its own citizens for its lack of active participation in resolving the climate process and also for weakening its climate ambition. A new UNEP Gap Report said that in order to achieve temperature levels below 1.5C, countries will have to increase their commitments five-fold, starting in 2020.
COP26 which will be held next year in Glasgow will determine whether or not nations have a reason to stay in the Paris Accord which was signed in 2015. There were various actors of the view that of 2020 was not going to see rigorous and active participation from all nations, the climate crisis would be beyond repair.
Trump’s Impeachment
Nischal Dave
Donald Trump becomes the third US president to face impeachment trial which ended with a vote by the House of Representatives on the 18th of December 2019 following three months of rigorous inquiry to prove the impeachment charges levied against him. Donald Trump was accused of abuse of power by a whistle-blower about pressurizing newly elected Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelensky in performing two favours i.e. pursuing an investigation of Joe Biden and his son Hunter and to investigate conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia was behind 2016 presidential election interference. The investigation inquiry was initiated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on 24th September 2019. The matter gained pace when an unnamed intelligence official expressed concern over the matter after a call was exchanged between the two presidents in late July. Trump was accused of holding 400 million military aid to fulfil his favours from the Ukrainian President. In his defence, Donald Trump has consistently denied such accusation terming his call with the Ukrainian President as perfect.
The impeachment process is concluded in two stages, while the first stage is complete where two articles were brought in the House of Representatives and passed in a vote. After the trial and voting by the House of Representatives, the matter moves to the Senate where the real voting counts which is still due. The two-third majority is required to impeach a President which has only been achieved once, before this in the case of Bill Clinton the two-third majority was not achieved and in President Nixon’s case he resigned before the vote. The only time a president was impeached in the United States political history is Andrew Johnson in 1868. The Parliament is currently on holiday break while President Trump awaits his fate. The only thing that works in President Trump’s favour is that the Republican is the dominant party in the Senate which may save him from an imminent impeachment
CAA protests in India
Simran Kothari
The Citizenship Amendment Act protests, also known as the CAA and NRC protests are a series of ongoing protests in India, against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which was enacted into law on 12 December 2019. In the aftermath of Anti-Citizenship Reform Act 2019 (CAA) uproar, which spread across the country like a bushfire, thousands of citizens greet the New Year with demonstrations to the revised legislation on citizenship, which is aimed at granting citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who migrated to India on or before 31 December 2014.
Some believe that the change would exclude the Muslim community and reinforce the democratic system of the country in tandem with resistance from a new National Register of Citizen (NRC). Thousands of people, who have had an indifferent attitude towards politics, a disdain for politicians apart, face the unresolved questions of identity, citizenship, individual and collective rights, including gender rights and their role in creating substantive democracy, nationwide protests against the Act (CAA) of Citizenship and National Registry of Citizens.
The act, which gives non-Muslim people of the three neighboring countries fast-track citizenship, is Prime Minister Modi's most recent government policy. Critics accuse the current government of being the reason behind Muslims being oppressed in a Hindu majority nation and of India not being secular.
Modi's political party replaced the places with names of Islamic heritage during his nearly six years in office, updating history schoolbooks to decrease or negate the position of Muslim leaders, also eliminating special autonomy for the Muslim-majority Kashmir. With India being the ground of extreme violence and state sponsored attacks, it is hard to say whether it is still a Democracy.
In the first instance, the protests were against the government and the leadership of BJP-Sangh Parivar. Moreover, on a more profound level these protests question the collective biases of Indian society which divide people by faith, caste, language and area and deny women equal rights.
WEEK - 3: DECEMBER 16- DECEMBER 22
Iranian President Rouhani visits Japan: A Renewal of Diplomatic Opening
Kanika Sansanwal
Amidst the economic sanctions and the nuclear deal’s deadlock, Iranian President Rouhani concluded his two-day visit to Japan where he met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. While doing so, President Rouhani became the first Iranian head of government to visit Japan in nearly 20 years. Rouhani visited Japan after attending an international conference of Muslim leaders in Malaysia.
The meeting intensified the speculation that Japan’s friendly relations with the Iranians and the Americans could lead to renewal of diplomatic negotiations between the two parties, as the ties have faltered since President Trump’s unilateral decision to pull the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Since its withdrawal, the US has once again imposed heavy sanctions on Iran which has decapitated its economy and has further escalated into a conflictual crisis. The Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei has reiterated that no negotiations with the US will be successful until the sanctions are lifted. Tehran since then has taken several steps to pressurise the remaining signatories to deliver on the promises of JCPOA. Prime Minister Abe has urged Iran to honour the nuclear deal and has expressed his concerns regarding the turmoil in the Middle east and has also requested Iran to stop resumption of nuclear activities.
During the closed-door meeting, President Rouhani emphasised on the bilateral relationship between Iran and Japan who share a long history. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Abe’s trip to Tehran marked the first visit by a Japanese Prime minister to Tehran in 41 years.
Iranian officials also expressed their hope that Japan will resume buying Iranian crude oil by circumventing the US imposed economic sanctions. However, Japanese officials have elucidated that they will not go against the will of Washington.
Prime Minister Abe explained his contentious plan of dispatching its military to the Middle Eastern high seas in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden, to ensure the safety of Japanese oil tankers. President Rouhani appreciated the high level of transparency shown by Abe and hoped that both Iran and Japan could build further on their 90-year long relationship.
Musharraf’s Death Sentence
Ishita Singh
On December 17, 2019, a special court in Pakistan sentenced the former President and Army Chief, Pervez Musharraf to death in absentia. The historic judgement was with regards to the longstanding case against General Musharraf for the suspension of the constitution and imposition of emergency in 2007. The judgement of the court was based on the violation of Article 6 of the Constitution, according to which the suspension of the Constitution is seen as an act of treason. Furthermore, the High Treason (Punishment) Act of 1973, encapsulates the penalty for high treason to be capital punishment or imprisonment for life.
With regards to the 2007 emergency, the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2009 had ruled Musharraf’s actions as unconstitutional and saw it as an abrogation of the constitution. The case of High Treason against the General has been pending since 2013. However, the judgement was delayed and subsequently issued in absentia due to the continued self-imposed exile by General Musharraf to the United Kingdom in 2009 and to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2016 to present, citing health issues.
For Pakistan, a country which has been characterized by frequent military coups and a deep-rooted influence of the army across the spectrum of governance, this judgement is monumental. Although is widely speculated that the judgement might not be carried out, however, its significance lies in the precedent that it hasa set of accountability and responsibility of actions by military regimes. Over the course of history, the constitution of Pakistan was abrogated by General Ayub Khan, General Yahya Khan and General Zia-ul-Haq as well. However, General Musharraf is the first military ruler of Pakistan to receive capital punishment for the subversion of the constitution during his tenure and this can be seen as a move to curtail the overarching power and unrestrained authority of the military in the country.
India's External Affairs Minister Cancels Visit Over Kashmir Remarks
Ronnie Ninan
India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar “abruptly” cancelled a meeting with US Congress legislators in response to the inclusion of Congresswoman and Democratic leader Pramila Jayapal, who is currently sponsoring a resolution on Kashmir in the US House of Representatives. The resolution sponsored by Jayapal insists on lifting India's communications and internet restrictions placed since August after Indian Prime Minister Modi's Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government shut down the internet and phone lines post its withdrawal of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir as provided by Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. India's EAM Jaishankar was in the US for the expected 2+2 talks with US officials. EAM Jaishankar was slated to meet the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), Representative Eliot L. Engel, the committee’s top Republican and Representative Michael McCaul and others. But later Congresswoman Jayapal was included in the list bypassing the rules set earlier. The EAM Jaishankar, according to reports, demanded the exclusion of Congresswoman Jayapal from the slated meeting. However, the demand was refused and in response, the meeting was cancelled by the minister. Other Congress Representatives have also spoken out including US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar who called for India to de-escalate and immediately restore communications in Kashmir.
EAM Jaishankar's meeting with top officials at Washington came as nationwide protests have been raging in India over the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act (2019), a law that provides the migrants fleeing from neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan of the Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi faith, a swifter path to receive Indian citizenship, while Muslims and other religious communities are excluded. While the 2+2 talks could bring the countries together, civilian unrest in India has many top officials in Washington who remain critical of the BJP-led government.
USA-India 2+2 Meeting in Washington
Sooraj Kashyap
On December 19th, the second meeting of the USA-India (2+2) meeting concluded in Washington. The meeting is the first one in Washington, the previous one being in Delhi last year. This year the goal of the meeting was to carry forward the positive developments in the US-Indo partnership. The same has been emphasised on by Secretary Pompeo in his press statement, “Over the last 24 months, U.S. crude and LNG exports to India have increased by more than $6 billion. That’s great for the United States and it’s great for India as well.”
The second meeting secured deals in the fields of space exploration and defence industrial collaboration, along with USA’s strong support to India’s Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. According to Secretary Pompeo, there were discussions on India’s role in Afghanistan’s future and the Indo-Pacific.
The conversation on Iran and China were also addressed in the meeting, Pompeo said,” On Iran, we discussed the maximum pressure campaign and why it’s necessary for getting the outlaw regime in Tehran to behave like a normal nation.”. He added,” On China, we discussed the risks that Chinese-built communication networks, including 5G, pose to our treasured freedoms and how China’s unfair and predatory economic activity in the Indo-Pacific presents a risk to those very freedoms.”
The outcome of the meeting shows that USA and India are eager to continue to work towards a strong partnership to enhance their presence in the Indo-Pacific region. The press statement also shows that the US Government is still looking to counter China instead of negotiating with them, even after US President Trump declared that the first round of the US-China trade talks has been a ‘huge success’.
WEEK - 4: DECEMBER 23 TO DECEMBER 31
US Attack on Iraq
Soham Joshi
On 29th December the US conducted airstrikes in the town of Al-Qa'im in Iraq which borders Syria too, targeting an Iranian-backed militia called Kataib Hezbollah. The Iraqi paramilitary forces claim that around 25 fighters died while 31 others have been injured. The PM of Iraq, Adil Abdul-Mahdi, has condemned the attack and saying that it violates the sovereignty of their country.
Kataib Hezbollah is a powerful Iraqi Shia militant, paramilitary group that is dependent on Iran for arms and funds. It has been active in Iraq, attempting to destabilise the military bases there. This attack was a response to an attack that was allegedly carried out by Hezbollah on an Iraqi military base in Kirkuk province on the 27th of December. The attack killed a US contractor and injured four US service members and two Iraqi security personnel.
The US stance on the attack is clear, stating that the group was seen as a threat to the US forces in Syria and Iraq where they have been engaging in military operations. US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said that the strikes were successful and they needed to be carried out, guided by the spirit of self-defence. Pentagon also said that Kataib Hezbollah is seen as a terrorist organisation and could dent the process of the US led coalition, fighting the ISIS.
Iran’s foreign ministry, Ibrahim Jaafari, said in a statement that the US strikes were a clear example of terrorism.
Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists exchange prisoners
Ronnie Ninan
The Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have completed a swap of almost 200 prisoners, exchanging all remaining detainees of the five-year conflict between the two sides. The exchange followed Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s first direct talk on December 9 in Paris where they recognized common measures to de-escalate Europe's only hot war. The prisoners’ swap comes 3 months after Ukraine carried out a long-awaited exchange with Russia of 35 prisoners each. As part of the swap, Russia released filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, while journalists Stanislav Aseyev, and Oleh Halaziuk were also among those freed. More than 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the anti-government demonstrations in eastern and southern Ukraine took place in 2014. Although praised by many world leaders, including Putin himself as well as French President Macron, in order to ensure that the state of the conflict remains dormant, it is important to continue such talks.
The Persisting Conflict in Libya
Ishita Singh
Libya has been marred by violence and conflict since the fall of its former dictator, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who was captured and killed during a NATO-led operation in 2011. The current conflict in Libya has been ongoing for nine months, beginning on April 4, 2019, with the Libyan General Khalifa Haftar launching an offensive attack on the capital city of Tripoli, which is under the control of the internationally recognized and UN-Backed Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. As Libya does not have a professional security force, the GNA has been relying on armed groups and militias to resist the advances of the Haftar-led forces.
Libya has become a hotspot for proxy wars, with a number of countries supplying ammunition, arsenal and personnel to the two conflicting parties. Russia, Egypt, Jordon and UAE have been recognized as the main suppliers and supporters of Haftar with Russia even vetoing a UN Security Council Statement condemning Haftar’s actions in Libya. On the other hand, Turkey is supporting the GNA. In November 2019, Turkey and the GNA signed two agreements on security and military & maritime boundary delimitation. This has opened the door for the GNA to receive troops from Turkey. Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, confirmed that the GNA had requested for ground, air and naval support from Ankara and affirmed Turkey’s support to its ally. He stated that the bill regarding the same would be put to the Turkish parliament once it opens for sessions and the legislation would pass around the second week of January 2020.
Although a number of countries have called for peaceful resolution of the conflict, it is unlikely that the Haftar-led forces will discontinue their advances. Furthermore, with the permanent members involved, an international solution too seems unlikely in the near future.
Australia Facing Deadly Wildfires
Nischal Dave
Australia has been plagued by series of wildfires since July 2019 but this year the fires have taken a fatal turn driving many out of their homes. Although forest fires occur annually during the hot and dry summers in Australia, the fire season has hit the state of New South Wales the worst, bearing the destruction of 1300 homes with over 440 being damaged. In totality, 5.9 million hectares of land has been engulfed by these wildfires out of which NSW itself contributes to about 3.6 million hectares. Thick plumes of smoke have degraded the air quality which has dropped so low that it is 11 times the hazardous level, per Reports.
The blazes have caused serious damage to bushlands including the Blue Mountain National Park. Even cities like Melbourne and Sydney are on high alert. Along with this, the country has seen an extensive loss in wildlife and their habitat. The statistics reveal that a third of the total Koala bear population is dead already. A total of 18 people have died across the country which includes firefighters.
The state of NSW has declared an emergency and there are 2000 firefighters on the ground are operating with more support on its way as the US, Canada, and New Zealand have sent in their firefighters to control the situation. In addition to this, the government has also sought military assistance in the form of army personnel, aircraft and navy cruisers to help firefighters in search and rescue and clean-up efforts. The Morrison administration has also allocated 23 million Australian dollars in disaster recovery payments to affected families, businesses and firefighters who are working relentlessly to manage the disaster. Despite efforts to curb the calamity, Australia’s summer has only begun and it will be a tough fight to prevent the fires from spreading.