hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
New Wildfires in California
- Thread starter Lilac
- Start date
jimintoronto
Well-known Member
This morning the Premier of the Province of Ontario Doug Ford stated that ALL of the DE Havilland water bomber aircraft owned by the Province are on their way to Los Angles. That is 17 water bombers from Ontario, to add to the other water bombers from British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec which are all ready in Los Angles.
For those that don't know, the DE Havilland model 215 and 415 aircraft are the only planes in the world that were designed specifically to be water bombers. They land on water at 100 mph, and in just 45 seconds they can scoop up 8,000 gallons of water, take off again and drop that water on the fire area. The DE Havilland water bombers are used all over the world, and they are all built in Canada.
Once again, Canada comes to the aid of Americans. Remember that when some body in Washington starts making stupid remarks about us.
For those that don't know, the DE Havilland model 215 and 415 aircraft are the only planes in the world that were designed specifically to be water bombers. They land on water at 100 mph, and in just 45 seconds they can scoop up 8,000 gallons of water, take off again and drop that water on the fire area. The DE Havilland water bombers are used all over the world, and they are all built in Canada.
Once again, Canada comes to the aid of Americans. Remember that when some body in Washington starts making stupid remarks about us.
Oldeagle66
Senior Member
Mother Nature is telling us something and we still won't listen. We're more fascinated with the million dollar homes on fire in the news.
hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
Not me...I'm well aware of what Mother nature is doing... however in this instance experts think they know exactly how this fire started in the back garden of someone's home...
LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley believes the fire started accidentally in a back garden around 10am Tuesday morning, telling reporters the blaze is now 'unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime'.
A time-lapse video of the catastrophe first showed a small, innocuous trail of smoke rising from the back garden in the outskirts of LA at 10:40am, but within minutes the plume had developed into a thick cloud as the flames began tearing through bone-dry shrubbery.
Before long, the City of Angels was ablaze and now, less than 48 hours on from the initial spark, the wildfire is on track to be the most destructive blaze ever, having ripped through the glitzy celebrity mansions and causing up to an estimated $60billion in damages.
Scientists at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have put the fire down to a global pattern of what they're calling 'hydroclimate whiplash' – rapid swings between intensely wet and dangerously dry weather.
Experts say that heavy rains from El Niño last year fueled vegetation growth in the Los Angeles area, which had since dried out and become highly flammable.
Once the flames ignited, SoCal was battered by 'devil winds', formally known as Santa Ana winds - warm and gusty northeast winds that blow from the region's interior toward the coast, unlike the usual winds which come in from the Pacific and blow cooler, more moist air inland.
The latest fires mean huge swathes of iconic southern California real estate from Malibu to Santa Monica, and from Pacific Palisades to Runyon Canyon, are ablaze - impacting millions caught off guard by the unprecedented spread and carnage.
hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
A-listers including Paris Hilton, Anthony Hopkins and John Goodman were forced to watch their homes turn to dust as the raging fires engulfed and destroyed them, tearing them down to the ground and leaving them nothing but a pile of charred rubble.
As of Thursday morning, the largest inferno has consumed nearly 12,000 acres (4,856 hectares) in the picturesque Pacific Palisades neighborhood that is home to many film, television and music stars.
A slew of notable locations, including Sunset Boulevard that splits Pacific Palisades, were engulfed in punishing flames that tore through residential and commercial areas alike, reducing buildings to burnt-out husks.
Banks, restaurants, gas stations and homes were demolished along the iconic boulevard where bulldozers were forced to remove abandoned luxury motors, forging a path for emergency services and firefighters.
At least five people have lost their lives in the disaster so far, with 2,000 structures obliterated, 20 square miles of territory ruined, and thousands of people across the city left with nothing but ash.
As of Thursday morning, the largest inferno has consumed nearly 12,000 acres (4,856 hectares) in the picturesque Pacific Palisades neighborhood that is home to many film, television and music stars.
A slew of notable locations, including Sunset Boulevard that splits Pacific Palisades, were engulfed in punishing flames that tore through residential and commercial areas alike, reducing buildings to burnt-out husks.
Banks, restaurants, gas stations and homes were demolished along the iconic boulevard where bulldozers were forced to remove abandoned luxury motors, forging a path for emergency services and firefighters.
At least five people have lost their lives in the disaster so far, with 2,000 structures obliterated, 20 square miles of territory ruined, and thousands of people across the city left with nothing but ash.
MrJim
Member
I wonder when people will get it through their heads to stop rebuilding in these fire prone areas? If not, the local & state governments should require that all new structures be built from 100% fire resistant materials. Meaning no wood or other flammable materials. Concrete block walls, metal roof rafters and joists with sheet metal decking, fireproof insulation and clay tiles or other similar coverings.
This is just becoming intolerable.
This is just becoming intolerable.
Imogene
Member
- Location
- Middle Tennessee
The Santa Ana’s are playing a huge part in this fire Mageddon. There were wind gusts up to 100 miles an hour at one point.
Until the winds settle down, the firefighters can’t keep up.
dilettante
Well-known Member
- Location
- Michigan
So much carbon dioxide and particulate material released. Remember the stink of Canada the last few Summers?
David777
Well-known Member
- Location
- Silicon Valley
$60 billion and rising. Utterly sad and devastating to so many lives.
After the Santa Rosa Tubbs Fire in 2017, some homeowners insurance providers stopped providing their same California insurance, especially in such fire prone areas. The Tubbs fire cost $8.6 billion and destroyed 5,600 homes. So the state created its FAIR state run system that passed laws stating if more fire disasters occurred depleting its funding that they would legally support that funding by taking money from remaining insurance providers in the state. That is why some insurance corporations decided to totally leave the state. This fire ought drive away some of the remaining.
And the bad guys are certain to try passing costs on to the rest of us. Real estate corporations, their bank corporation buddies, and the construction industry is where costs ought to narrowly be passed on to because they are the ones for decades driving building combustible structures in such areas. With insurance costs now rising to ridiculous levels, those industries will whine and cry using their media in order to have their puppet politicians pass those costs to the rest of us. They will complain that people won't buy their new homes if they have to pay such high yearly insurance costs. And they also don't want to build fireproof homes because the costs will be higher too.
So yeah, allow homes to be built in such areas but make sure they won't easily burn. Decades ago such land speculators bought up large amounts of then cheap peripheral urban properties in Southern California including those in such fire risk areas and are at pains not to lose on their investments. How else will they be able to eventually move to Palm Springs and Palm Beach to play golf?
https://www.kqed.org/news/12021019/...rnia-insurance-market-stability-housing-costs
Read that State Farm cancelled 70% of the policies in Pacific Palisades only a year ago, a total of 1600 policies, that FAIR then came in to insure for $5.6 billion. If one looks at that image I posted above of where the fire began, it is obvious why State Farm cancelled so. Looking at the full image by opening it in a new tab shows those hilltop homes surrounded by highly flammable chaparral canyons and home properties themselves often with ornamental trees right up to buildings. One can also see many of those ultra rich residences also have blue swimming pools. Likewise urban zones in coastal plains below canyons were also heavily covered with ornamental vegetations.
There are more similar fire disasters in chaparral landscapes ready to combust both in coastal Southern California but also here in the urban SF Bay Area and northeast of Sacramento in foothills. In 1963 I lived in the San Diego Claremont area as a high school freshman within similar chaparral canyon we kids would explore and play down in. And I was born in downtown Los Angeles though only lived there as a young child.
After the Santa Rosa Tubbs Fire in 2017, some homeowners insurance providers stopped providing their same California insurance, especially in such fire prone areas. The Tubbs fire cost $8.6 billion and destroyed 5,600 homes. So the state created its FAIR state run system that passed laws stating if more fire disasters occurred depleting its funding that they would legally support that funding by taking money from remaining insurance providers in the state. That is why some insurance corporations decided to totally leave the state. This fire ought drive away some of the remaining.
And the bad guys are certain to try passing costs on to the rest of us. Real estate corporations, their bank corporation buddies, and the construction industry is where costs ought to narrowly be passed on to because they are the ones for decades driving building combustible structures in such areas. With insurance costs now rising to ridiculous levels, those industries will whine and cry using their media in order to have their puppet politicians pass those costs to the rest of us. They will complain that people won't buy their new homes if they have to pay such high yearly insurance costs. And they also don't want to build fireproof homes because the costs will be higher too.
So yeah, allow homes to be built in such areas but make sure they won't easily burn. Decades ago such land speculators bought up large amounts of then cheap peripheral urban properties in Southern California including those in such fire risk areas and are at pains not to lose on their investments. How else will they be able to eventually move to Palm Springs and Palm Beach to play golf?
https://www.kqed.org/news/12021019/...rnia-insurance-market-stability-housing-costs
Read that State Farm cancelled 70% of the policies in Pacific Palisades only a year ago, a total of 1600 policies, that FAIR then came in to insure for $5.6 billion. If one looks at that image I posted above of where the fire began, it is obvious why State Farm cancelled so. Looking at the full image by opening it in a new tab shows those hilltop homes surrounded by highly flammable chaparral canyons and home properties themselves often with ornamental trees right up to buildings. One can also see many of those ultra rich residences also have blue swimming pools. Likewise urban zones in coastal plains below canyons were also heavily covered with ornamental vegetations.
There are more similar fire disasters in chaparral landscapes ready to combust both in coastal Southern California but also here in the urban SF Bay Area and northeast of Sacramento in foothills. In 1963 I lived in the San Diego Claremont area as a high school freshman within similar chaparral canyon we kids would explore and play down in. And I was born in downtown Los Angeles though only lived there as a young child.
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dilettante
Well-known Member
- Location
- Michigan
Maybe the insurance industry will finally step up and stop providing coverage for construction in disaster-prone areas.
Don M.
SF VIP
- Location
- central Missouri
Start budgeting for an increase in homeowners insurance....all over the country. The costs of these fires will be in the 10's of billions....maybe over 100 billion. Every time there is a major disaster....fires, floods, hurricanes, etc., the insurance companies raise their rates for everyone to cover the costs.
Grampa Don
Yep, that's me
- Location
- Orange county, Calif.
I'm in Orange County well away from the fires. Thanks for asking.
RadishRose
SF VIP
- Location
- Connecticut, USA
Good to hear from you!
Remy
Well-known Member
- Location
- California, USA
Agreed. Heard this on the radio yesterday while driving. This is not the time to have that discussion. It needs to be made. And soon. I heard the on the news the hills have dead brush under the green from the long drought. Pay people or get prisoners out there to clear this stuff.
I don't know how the terrain is but I did some of that kind of work in the summer in the hills around Santa Cruz.
RadishRose
SF VIP
- Location
- Connecticut, USA
Death toll seems to be going up, as expected. They just said on the news that police responding to requests for welfare checks are finding burned human remains. (Palisades)
fuzzybuddy
SF VIP
- Location
- The Sticks, Northeast PA.
On TV, they showed before and after the fire pics. There're just no words to describe the piles of smoldering ashes. It's not merely the loss of your home, but your street, your job, your kid's school, your grocery store, your community.
I don't know how these people are going to piece back any part of their pre-fire lives.
I don't know how these people are going to piece back any part of their pre-fire lives.
MrJim
Member
They should clean up the debris then let nature reclaim the land.
I was wondering why on the news they were mentioning the famous people losing their homes as compared to lots of people losing their homes as well. Then the person said, "Well, they (the famous) are people, too." That made me realize they are just as sad to think about.
Grampa Don
Yep, that's me
- Location
- Orange county, Calif.
No breeze here this morning.
David777
Well-known Member
- Location
- Silicon Valley
Unlike at Paradise, CA where myriad low wealth people lost everything and have been slow to rebuild, most of those in Pacific Palisades are wealthy enough to rebuild. And rebuild they will quickly, both residential and commercial, because it is a very attractive zone for the ultra wealthy and any businesses. Many with just those real estate property assets may simply sell to developers then move elsewhere away from a future similar potential nightmare. In any case, we the people ought to make sure politicians enforce anything built in that zone is fireproof for aerial ember firestorms.
StarSong
Awkward is my Superpower
- Location
- Los Angeles Suburbs
For reference, Sunset Blvd is over 23 miles long, and runs from downtown LA and most famously through Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, the northern border of UCLA, and ends at Pacific Coast Highway, blocks before the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Palisades lies in the most westerly portion of Sunset.
There are tragic losses, but almost anyone who has been through a disaster will tell you this:
Loved ones and stuff are entirely different things. We are neither our homes nor our stuff. People can move, rebuild, and adapt if our lives and the lives of our loved ones are saved.
Sometimes just getting out with your family, pets, and the clothes on your back are a miraculous win.
dilettante
Well-known Member
- Location
- Michigan
Ahh, that tried and true California slavery.
Naturally
Well-known Member
- Location
- Corner of Walk 'n Don't Walk
Mother nature doesn't give a damn about you nor me. That said, mother nature may not have caused this. Right now I see reports that the cause is unknown, but much earlier reports indicated that New Years fireworks may have had something to do with it. Maybe mother nature just took the opportunity and is running with it. Dunno
