New Wildfires in California

This will drive everyone's insurance up.

Maybe we should put everyone in California on $15/day before taxes too, just like the convict labor they love to exploit. The rest can be used to help pay for the insurance hikes in the other 49.

This is a self-made problem. Poor public policy such as insurance scams ("FAIR" Plan), water policy, and allowing construction in the brush and bracken and in hilly wind tunnel areas.
 
jimintoronto said:
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.
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On what do you base these bizarre speculations?

Virtually all homeowners in Los Angeles are insured, and most Pacific Palisades homeowners are insured AND wealthy. It's doubtful significant numbers (if any) will pitching tents on football fields, or dicing it out with existing homeless people for a place to sleep.

Furthermore, many (most?) homeowner insurance policies provide lodging funds after a disaster and while a home is being rebuilt.

Good grief.
 
dilettante said:
This will drive everyone's insurance up.

Maybe we should put everyone in California on $15/day before taxes too, just like the convict labor they love to exploit. The rest can be used to help pay for the insurance hikes in the other 49.

This is a self-made problem. Poor public policy such as insurance scams ("FAIR" Plan), water policy, and allowing construction in the brush and bracken and in hilly wind tunnel areas.
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Seems like it would be more practical and effective to amend their building codes and start requiring all new construction to be as fire resistant as possible. Include strict landscaping restrictions which ban certain plants, shrubs and trees that are prone to fire as well.
 
AnnieA said:
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
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The system for supplying water to SoCal was solved about a 100 years ago. The result: huge farms sprang up, and SoCal became a major supplier of food. Within half a century, major corporations moved in, ports expanded, and Silicon Valley was born, and SoCal became a major contributor to state revenue and supplier of goods.

Thanks to all that tax revenue, Calif could build dams on rivers created by NoCal's rain and snow to provide cheap, clean energy to the entire state, create lakes for recreation, which brought more revenue, fill reservoirs, create new aqueducts, and store water reserves in massive water towers.

Very recently, some of those dams were blown up and millions of gallons of water per year intended for the reserves was re-directed to the sea. This was done to save a fish that was purported to be endangered. So, Los Angeles is burning, and the water reserves are all used up, but the fish are ok. No need to worry about the fish, they'll be fine.
 
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MrJim said:
Seems like it would be more practical and effective to amend their building codes and start requiring all new construction to be as fire resistant as possible. Include strict landscaping restrictions which ban certain plants, shrubs and trees that are prone to fire as well.
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It's a bit late, but there might be some merit there.

Might be, if real estate and construction costs weren't already growing beyond the means of people in inflation-based California. Then you have the firestorms themselves, often whipped by strong dry winds. Even a lot of well-built commercial properties appear to be succumbing.
 
Sunny said:
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.)
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I'm safe and the evacuation warning was lifted for DH & me, though it's still in place for our son & DIL.

Santa Monica has no burn areas - some of it has been evacuated and most is under evacuation watch, but the fires have not reached SM.

Fires are still burning, but the winds are less today and tomorrow. They'll ratchet back up Mon or Tues but nowhere near the levels of this past Tues/Weds. Dedicated, hard working local and regional fire departments, along with lessened winds spreading the fires and robust air support, have combined to allow FFs to start containing these fires.

As for hydrants running out of water (which you didn't mention, Sunny, but others on this thread have): yesterday the LAFD chief addressed that specific issue, saying it happens, is planned for, and isn't unusual during large fires. Many hoses drawing from finite supplies. FDs have other means of fighting fires and obtaining water, including pumping from So Cal's ubiquitous residential swimming pools.
 
MrJim said:
Seems like it would be more practical and effective to amend their building codes and start requiring all new construction to be as fire resistant as possible. Include strict landscaping restrictions which ban certain plants, shrubs and trees that are prone to fire as well.
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dilettante said:
It's a bit late, but there might be some merit there.

Might be, if real estate and construction costs weren't already growing beyond the means of people in inflation-based California. Then you have the firestorms themselves, often whipped by strong dry winds. Even a lot of well-built commercial properties appear to be succumbing.
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What's needed (imo) is better, smarter forestry and land management. These issues are already being discussed.
 
StarSong said:
As for hydrants running out of water (which you didn't mention, Sunny, but others on this thread have): yesterday the LAFD chief addressed that specific issue, saying it happens, is planned for, and isn't unusual during large fires. Many hoses drawing from finite supplies. FDs have other means of fighting fires and obtaining water, including pumping from So Cal's ubiquitous residential swimming pools.
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L.A. officials cut funding to LAFD a year or two ago. Cut it by $18-million, if I remember right. The same year, state officials approved blowing up a few dams and redirecting water reserves to the sea...to save the environment.

L.A. residents let the LAFD use their garden hoses to refill fire engine tanks. This should never have to happen.

I'm sure glad you're ok, StarSong. (y)
 
dilettante said:
This will drive everyone's insurance up.

Maybe we should put everyone in California on $15/day before taxes too, just like the convict labor they love to exploit. The rest can be used to help pay for the insurance hikes in the other 49.

This is a self-made problem. Poor public policy such as insurance scams ("FAIR" Plan), water policy, and allowing construction in the brush and bracken and in hilly wind tunnel areas.
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In truth, Calif is hostile toward insurance companies, including the reputable ones. Calif prefers using its own federally subsidized insurance companies.

Indeed, every Californian's home-owners insurance premiums will increase. I suppose renters insurance will go up, as well. But, well heck, why stop there? (I'm confident it won't)
 
Lilac said:
Just heard this on the news about wildfires in the Pacific Palisades area & Los Angeles. They said winds & dry condition are spreading the fire & about 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.

Not sure if any of our members are or will be affected by this or not.

Prayers for all of the people facing this latest fire.
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I have 2 brothers in the LA area. I called one yesterday and asked if the fires were affecting them. He said the air is really bad with smoke. He also said the fires are about 6 miles from him and 2 miles from my other brother. I've been praying for a good downpour to happen there. They haven't had rain since last March. I am hoping for a miracle to happen.
 
Murrmurr said:
L.A. officials cut funding to LAFD a year or two ago. Cut it by $18-million, if I remember right. The same year, state officials approved blowing up a few dams and redirecting water reserves to the sea...to save the environment.

L.A. residents let the LAFD use their garden hoses to refill fire engine tanks. This should never have to happen.

I'm sure glad you're ok, StarSong. (y)
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Total LAFD budget for 2024 was 819.64 million. Not saying $18 million is insignificant, but cutting that amount wouldn't have changed the disaster of a massive wildfire at a high elevation, quickly spreading due to winds gusting in the 80-100 mph range, and no air support was possible.

More water wasn't the primary issue.
 
Brookswood said:
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?
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Last time I saw some of CA that is how way too many people live there: squatted in tents. Tucson, too.

However if you are the person/vicitim that owned the recently burned down house, as a homeowner you would probably be arrested, or get a ticket from your HOA because you are tent camping on your own property illegally? The way California (doesn't) works...seems likely. LOL
 
Hugo Hit S.C. Many, Many Square miles of pine down, one lonely tree standing there.
They bulldozed and burnt many square miles of brush out of there. Just open land left.
A lot of it became Multi Family homes with all the influx from the New England States after.

I would venture many Cal. will leave the state. Monterey turned down a Salt Water to Fresh
water plant last year. They don't want more residents there.
 
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Ruthanne said:
I have 2 brothers in the LA area. I called one yesterday and asked if the fires were affecting them. He said the air is really bad with smoke. He also said the fires are about 6 miles from him and 2 miles from my other brother. I've been praying for a good downpour to happen there. They haven't had rain since last March. I am hoping for a miracle to happen.
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Be careful what you pray for. A downpour might put out the fires but will set up another disaster: mudslides. We need a little bit of rain here and there. Enough to green up the dry brush, but not more than that.

Wildfires in mountainous areas are often disastrous gifts that keep on giving.
 
papa tiger said:
Hugo Hit S.C. Many, Many Square miles of pine down, one lonely tree standing there.
A lot of it became Multi Family homes with all the influx from the New England States after.
I would venture many Cal. will leave the state.
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I hope so. Am putting my Tucson house up for sale and already have my 4 acres up for sale, too! Gotta think of silver linings.
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Last time I saw some of CA that is how way too many people live there: squatted in tents. Tucson, too.

However if you are the person/vicitim that owned the recently burned down house, as a homeowner you would probably be arrested, or get a ticket from your HOA because you are tent camping on your own property illegally? The way California (doesn't) works...seems likely. LOL
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You seem to be an relentless source of unkind, ignorant remarks about a state you clearly understand poorly. Maybe too much AI? Emphasis on the Artificial.

LOL yourself.
 
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