New Wildfires in California

David777 said:
Unlike mountain forests, that is not really an option in coastal chaparral areas. Unlike areas with trees, there isn't any dead plant debris to clear but rather the chamise-chaparral species root sprout after fires as live above ground shrubs. Such shrubs like chamise aka greasewood, contain very flammable oils that function to intensely burn all other adjacent types of plants every few decades during natural fires and they also contain natural herbicides that prevent most other species from being able to grow in those thin acidic soil zones. There are some species of grass that can be grown in those soils but on such usual steep terrain, those grasses won't reduce severe soil erosion like chaparral roots

To remove the often pure stands of chamise so it doesn't grow back requires herbicides and difficult control methods over years to kill the underground roots. Also such chaparral contains a whole biosystem of value of small mammals, birds, and invertebrates. So although small zones with chaparral can be replaced, it isn't practical over large areas. So the only real wise choice is to NEVER build structures with combustible materials in such zones regardless of what some myopic real estate bean counters and their bankers want to build. And if urban areas are at the base of such chaparral zone canyons, they also need to be wind firestorm aerial ember proof.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/psw/publications/documents/misc/ah328.pdf
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Hmmm... interesting. Here is more info on highly flammable plants in California, courtesy of ChatGPT...

Highly Flammable Native Plants:​

  1. Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum)
    • Common in chaparral ecosystems, chamise has high oil content in its leaves, making it extremely flammable.
  2. Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.)
    • Known for its oily leaves and dense structure, manzanita burns intensely when ignited.
  3. California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica)
    • A highly aromatic shrub, sagebrush is rich in volatile oils that ignite easily.
  4. Ceanothus (Ceanothus spp.)
    • Also called California lilac, ceanothus shrubs are dense and have flammable foliage.
  5. Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
    • This evergreen shrub contains flammable oils and is a common plant in fire-prone regions.

Highly Flammable Non-Native Plants:​

  1. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.)
    • Imported from Australia, eucalyptus trees have oily leaves and shed bark, creating dry, flammable litter.
  2. Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)
    • This invasive grass produces dry, fibrous stalks that ignite easily and spread fire rapidly.
  3. Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
    • An invasive shrub with dry stems and high oil content, it acts as a fire accelerant.
  4. Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum)
    • This ornamental grass creates a dense mass of dry material that burns quickly and intensely.
  5. Giant Reed (Arundo donax)
    • A fast-growing invasive plant that creates thick stands of dry stalks, promoting fire spread.
 

StarSong said:
The Delta Smelt controversy, which I'm not well-versed about, is a northern California agrucultural and urban water issue, and has little to do with firefighting water in So Cal. It's roughly akin to someone in Charlotte, NC, saying if only more water were available in Pittsburgh, PA, then Charlotte wouldn't be dealing with drought conditions.
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Just read more about the California Water Project and the water from north does impact water far to the south of the state because of the California Aqueduct.

From National Geographic:

California's Pipe Dream

California uses a complex network of connections to deliver water to its large population. Most of its water reserves are in the northern part of the state.

replumbing-california.jpg
 
Amazingly sad airborne photos of the destroyed Areas. These fires makes the Midwest tornadoes look like a Sunday picnic with a few troublesome ants.
 

Marcy Sheiner said:
My daughter lives in LA, in Santa Monica. She hasn't had to evacuate, but packed her car and is ready to go if necessary.
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Glad she is okay. There have been notable fires in her area in recent times.

In the San Francisco area there is no current threat but anything can happen. I’m glad I live in an a suburban area. Like everywhere else we celebrate out green belts but being surrounded by streets, sidewalks and built structures gives me some peace of mind over what I’d feel in a more rural area with more timber and scrub.
 
This is just terrible! The scope of the devastation is beyond comprehension. It's like a disaster movie gone bad. Besides other news people covering the fire, which looks dangerous for those who were in the midst of flying embers, "my David" (David Muir) was at the sites covering the fires the last couple of days. Then yesterday I learned that my BFF's nephew lives only 10 miles from one of the fires. That is concerning, considering how fast they are spreading. I hope his area will remain safe and he doesn't have to evacuate because he has dog with mobility issues, who he adores and I don't think he drives.

My heart and prayers go out to those who have lost everything and especially those who have lost loved ones. I saw on WNT that one man was found deceased with the hose still in his hands trying to save his home. His devastated sister had urged him to leave but he wouldn't listen. I saw aerial footage of the devastation which spans forty five square blocks, at least and literally looks like a bombed out war zone. L Lord have mercy!
:eek:😪
 
I was watching the crawl at the bottom of my television screen this morning and saw that the loss is estimated at 50 billion and only 10 billion is insured, that seems incomprehensible to me, are the laws and insurance practices different in California.

It will be interesting to see how many insurance companies fail or stop writing policies in California and other area of the country that are prone to natural disasters.

This disaster is scary on so many levels.

I’m so thankful for my uneventful little life.
 
Yikes. Fire fighters have run out of water. They can still do aerial drops, but that's expensive and not as effective. But from the descriptions, nothing seems effective, anyway. To help balance my understanding, I would like to know how much fire fighters have saved. Not to discredit fire fighters. They work hard and are dedicated, but they are no match for a natural disaster of this magnitude.
 
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Brookswood said:
Amazingly sad airborne photos of the destroyed Areas. These fires makes the Midwest tornadoes look like a Sunday picnic with a few troublesome ants.
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I saw this as a comparison, putting things in perspective.
We've seen some horrendous fires in Australia, but nothing quite like this.

rgp said:
Come-on ..... you're going to stoop to who has the more devastating tragedies ?
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I guess some of us have very different perceptions and interpretation of posts here.
 
The estimate is that there are about two hundred thousand displaced persons in the LA area. I 'm thinking that all of the football and baseball fields and city parks are going to be filled up with tents and trailers quickly. Parking lots of shopping plazas, industrial and factory lands are going to be the places where the "new homeless " are going to be sited. I can imagine the arguments between those who "Had a home until yesterday" and the long term homeless who have been on the street for 4 years when it comes to getting a place to sleep and eat now. JIM.
 
Murrmurr said:
Importantly, the prisoners volunteer for the training and to work actively. It's also important to remember they are paid with people's taxes. Non-prison firefighters are, too, but they don't owe a debt to society for committing a crime. While incarcerated, prisoners have tax-funded meals, education, skills training, therapies, and medical care. Some have tax-funded ipads, a recreation room, and a library, and they all get to watch TV and make phone calls on devices paid for by taxpayers.

By the time they are incarcerated, most Calif state prisoners already have an "IOU" for taxes that covered their defense attorney and all court costs, and many personally owe for loss and/or damages and/or injury of a victim.

And, as far as I know, they aren't complaining about their wages.
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Do you feel that none of those things should be available to them?
 
Starsong, I'm so glad to hear that you and your family are OK, and your house is apparently still standing. From what they showed on the news last night, what's left of Santa Monica looks like a disaster movie. Are the fires still burning, or are they mostly out by now? Good grief, where will all those people go, with their homes, communities, entire lives wiped out?

I hope you are safe, wherever you are. ("Los Angeles suburbs" is a pretty big area.)
 
With housing in So Cal expensive and hard to find, where are all these people whose home is destroyed going to live? A tent on their burned out lot?
 
Rakaia said:
I saw this as a comparison, putting things in perspective.
We've seen some horrendous fires in Australia, but nothing quite like this.



I guess some of us have very different perceptions and interpretation of posts here.
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Thank you. It was just my observation having seen results of this fire and the results of those terrible tornados that have ravaged towns in other parts of the country. I wonder how this compares to that hurricane that hit North Caroline late last year?
 
With all the ongoing news coverage of these fires, I haven't heard any speculation of how they started. Were there lightning storms? Were there downed power lines due to the high winds? Was it arson? Has anyone heard anything about this?
 
Arson suspect arrested in Woodland Hills near Kenneth Fire

An arson suspect was arrested Thursday night near the Kenneth Fire area as fire crews continue battling flames burning near homes in Calabasas and West Hills.

At around 4:30 p.m., Los Angeles police responded to reports of a man attempting to light a fire in the 21700 block of Ybarra Road in Woodland Hills.

Residents who spotted the suspect held him down until officers arrived. Photos shared on the Citizen app show officers surrounding a home where the man was handcuffed.

A male arson suspect was arrested in Woodland Hills as the nearby Kenneth Fire ignited in the Calabasas area on Jan. 9, 2025. (Citizen)

“We were sitting in the backyard and suddenly, we hear a car come to a screeching halt and the guy is running out saying, ‘Stop! Drop what you’re holding! Neighbors, he’s trying to start a fire! Call 911!’” recalled Renata Grinshpun, who witnessed the incident.

Grinshpun said the commotion roused neighbors from their homes who cornered the suspect and held him down. She said the man had what appeared to be a large “propane tank or a flamethrower” and a neighbor saw him trying to light an object on fire behind a vehicle.

“We really banded together as a group,” Grinshpun said. “A few gentlemen surrounded him and got him on his knees. They got some zip ties, a rope and we were able to do a citizens’ arrest.”

Authorities have not confirmed whether the man was responsible or had any connection with the current wildfires. His identity was not released.

“What we know right now is that the incident occurred here and about 20-30 minutes later, a suspect was detained by citizens,” said Sean Dinse, from LAPD’s Topanga Division.

When asked whether the fire was a possible case of arson, Dinse said, “At this time, that’s what we believe. It’s being investigated as a crime.”

The Kenneth Fire was first reported around 2:30 p.m. in an area of dry brush in the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space just north of the 101 Freeway. By 9 p.m., the fire grew to 1,000 acres with 35% containment.

Sky5 footage showed helicopters dropping flame retardant around the fire’s perimeter and fixed-wing aircraft dumping water to protect homes.

An arson investigation is underway and no further details on the suspect were released.

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Don M. said:
With all the ongoing news coverage of these fires, I haven't heard any speculation of how they started. Were there lightning storms? Were there downed power lines due to the high winds? Was it arson? Has anyone heard anything about this?
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It wouldn't surprise me if they were started by someone who has animosity towards California due to cable news misinformation.
 
"The Los Angeles police gave an update during this news conference on a person taken into custody on Thursday afternoon, after residents reported spotting the person trying to light a fire. It was in Woodland Hills, near where the Kenneth fire broke out. After investigating the case, officers determined that there was not enough evidence to arrest the person on suspicion of arson, said Dominic Choi, an assistant police chief."
 
againstthegrain said:
"The Los Angeles police gave an update during this news conference on a person taken into custody on Thursday afternoon, after residents reported spotting the person trying to light a fire. It was in Woodland Hills, near where the Kenneth fire broke out. After investigating the case, officers determined that there was not enough evidence to arrest the person on suspicion of arson, said Dominic Choi, an assistant police chief."
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A propane bottle isn't enough evidence to hold or for other charges??? If a torch head was on it that means it was capable of producing a flame.
 
againstthegrain said:
"The Los Angeles police gave an update during this news conference on a person taken into custody on Thursday afternoon, after residents reported spotting the person trying to light a fire. It was in Woodland Hills, near where the Kenneth fire broke out. After investigating the case, officers determined that there was not enough evidence to arrest the person on suspicion of arson, said Dominic Choi, an assistant police chief."
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He wasn't a resident of the neighborhood in which he was arrested and was walking around with a blowtorch. Guess the police needed to have someone witness him using the blowtorch.
 
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