I hope that all of you in Northern Cali are hanging in there with the fires. This is the nearest fire, but the picture speaks for itself.
I don't get it. This happens annually. Are there no state programs for this?
I have only been to the west coast a few times but, the annual fires support my assertion that California is the stepping stone to hell.
I wish there was a "troll" flag I could attach to your post...
Just an FYI though, THIS kind of fire doesn't happen here annually. Typically, there will be a couple big fires throughout the season, but nothing that compares to this number. A huge thunderstorm rolled in a few weeks ago and started 823 fires (no, that's not a typo). 823 f$%king fires!!! Most of these have now combined, but this number of fires at a single time is historically unmatched.
Oh, and I almost forgot to clarify...PARTS of California are indeed the gateway to hell. Next time you're out come visit Yosemite, Lassen Park, the Trinity Alps, or the Lost Coast. Those places are so quiet you can actually hear and see the true earth over the raucous din of humanity. Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco are not areas by which to judge an entire state. And I'm sure you wouldn't like to start a comparison on state merits...since your sig mentions the wonderful? metropolis of OKC.
One of the previous posts had an inaccurate statistic that stated 823 fires. The actual figure is over 1,700 fires with over 18,000 firefighters engaged in the firefighting effort.All I was asserting is that you'd think there would be more preparedness for this.
I wish more people wanted a proactive approach you describe. Unfortunately, here in CA the pro-growth crowd funded by the building lobby keeps putting houses and lives in areas that nature designed to burn. In areas like rural San Diego, the locals dont want to stop building in the path of fire and cry when their houses burn. As a firefighter, when the alarm sounds, we are required to protect lives and property, regardless of the politics. Unfortunately, letting fires burn in California wont work in most areas. There are simply too many homes and lives in the areas that used to be open country. The public as a whole wants their houses protected and letting fires burn is no longer an option.As A SO. OR native who's lived with forest fires all my life (parents place has been seriously threatened 3 times in the last 10 yrs), I agree that more needs to be done.
If we invested some federal money in clearing the DENSE undergrowth that has accumulated in the west under Smokey the Bear's 60 year reign of terror, we could make some progress. With summer firefighting costs often reaching the billions, we would only benefit in the long run. Each year as we cleared more fuel, we could let more wild fires burn unchecked, as they would not be so catastrophic, this would keep the restored forests clear of fuel, and slowly but surely reduce firefighting costs.
There are already tax incentives for homeowners to clear their property. Why not invest a little in our future, into a program that would eventually become cash positive?
BTW, it's like LA X2 nere in Medford/Ashland
Now compare California’s firefighting effort to the mayhem and chaos that occurred after Huricane Katrina. There is no looting, riots, people stranded without help. California can and will, handle these natural disasters in the way we do, like professionals.
I hear there's a few states in the midwest that get many tornadoes every year, yet every year they're surprised when whole towns disappear....
Thank god all I have to worry about here is lethal earthquakes, active volcanoes and filthy hippies.
earthquakes, active volcanoes
Sorry, but as a firefighter (like yourself) who's worked in urban and rural environments, these events are apples and oranges. Not like Cali hasn't had their fair share of riots... and apparently their fair share of shortcomings. It sucks all over, my friend.
The fallout of the fires is a perfect example of people not taking responsibility for their poor choices. If you build your house in an extreme fire hazard areas that have a history of extreme fire behavior, your house is likely to burn. It is just a matter of time. Sometimes the fire department can’t put fires out until nature lets them. That’s not the firefighters fault.
The Camp Fire is among 1,780 blazes that have scorched more than 614,000 acres in California in the last two weeks. Most of the fires have been caused by lightning strikes.
There were still 330 active fires Tuesday that were being battled by about 20,000 federal, state and local firefighters using more than 1,400 engines and 97 helicopters, authorities said.
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