Final answer:
The claim that the 2020 West Coast wildfires were caused solely by either climate change or mismanaged forestry is 'false'. Both factors, among others, contributed to the wildfires, with climate change notably elevating the risk and severity due to the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Step-by-step explanation:
The claim that the West Coast wildfires of 2020 were the direct result of climate change and no other factors, is false. Climate change has indeed increased the frequency and intensity of wildfires due to higher temperatures and reduced rainfall, contributing to more extreme fire weather conditions. However, it is an oversimplification to say that there are no other significant contributing factors. For instance, mismanaged forestry practices also play a substantial role in wildfire dynamics by affecting fuel loads and fire intensity. Therefore, it is more accurate to say that the extreme wildfires are a result of combined factors including but not limited to anthropogenic climate change.
Extensive scientific research indicates that human activities, especially the combustion of fossil fuels, are changing the climate by enhancing the greenhouse effect. Post-Industrial Revolution changes in climate are not sufficiently explained by natural causes alone. Thus, any assertion that climate change plays no role in the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires contradicts the prevailing scientific consensus and the available evidence.