California Wildfires Continue to Rage

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

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I can't imagine what the people in California are going through, it seems they don't even get over one disaster when they're hit with another. I feel bad for all the victims and those who had to evacuate their homes. Hope our California members here are safe from the fires. Full story HERE.

Wind-whipped wildfires continued to blaze across Southern California on Wednesday. The Thomas Fire, which started Monday roughly 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, is by far the worst -- scorching 65,000 acres, destroying 150 structures and threatening 12,000 more. It’s also forced 27,000 people to evacuate, according to officials.

It's currently unclear what sparked the Thomas Fire. At least one firefighter has been injured so far, but no fatalities have been reported yet. However, three people were reportedly burned by the Little Mountain fire in San Bernardino County on Tuesday.
Here’s how the Thomas Fire compares to a few other large-scale wildfires in 2016 and 2017.

Soberanes Fire - 132,127 acres burned

The Soberanes Fire was sparked by an abandoned, illegal campfire in July 2016. It burned 132,127 acres and was mainly fueled by chaparral, tall grass and timber. The fire burned for nearly three months before it was contained.

The fire cost at least $229 million, which was claimed by fire officials to be the most expensive fire the U.S. Forest Service has ever fought, the Los Angeles Times reported in October 2016.
The fire destroyed at least 50 homes and was the state’s biggest and most destructive wildfire of that year.

Long Valley Fire - 83,733 acres burned

The Long Valley Fire was first ignited in July of 2017. The fire, which was located about two miles north of Doyle, Calif. and about 50 miles north of Reno, Nev., was contained 10 days after it first started.
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Thankfully it's south of me but there are a lot of students at Cal Poly where my grandson goes that don't know how they'll get home if southbound 101 is closed. Semester ends this week and everyone has to leave the dorms

There are some kind parents who are local and are welcoming students into their homes if they can't get home right away.
 
Very scary situation. I hope the winds die down sometime soon and a nice cold front moves in soon also.
 

California...especially the Southern half...is likely to become the "poster child" for the ravages of Climate Change. Higher temperatures, and lower amounts of precipitation are quite likely to become the norm in coming years. That, coupled with a huge population base, spells the potential for some real problems in the future. SoCal, and anywhere along the Gulf and Eastern coasts will become increasingly stressed by weather events. Recent reports by the climate scientists point strongly to an increase in rising oceans...which will put the coastal areas in trouble even sooner than previously predicted.
 
Don, you have pointed to the elephant in the room. Fires are a natural phenomenon in certain eco systems but climate change resulting in overall increased global temperatures means that the frequency, intensity and range of those fires inevitably increases. So does the damage to homes and infrastructure and the loss of wildlife, livestock and human lives. There is a price to pay for not taking action to halt the increase in greenhouse gases as soon as their effect became known. The price will be even higher if we continue to stick our heads in the sand.
 
Warrigal said:
Don, you have pointed to the elephant in the room. Fires are a natural phenomenon in certain eco systems but climate change resulting in overall increased global temperatures means that the frequency, intensity and range of those fires inevitably increases. So does the damage to homes and infrastructure and the loss of wildlife, livestock and human lives. There is a price to pay for not taking action to halt the increase in greenhouse gases as soon as their effect became known. The price will be even higher if we continue to stick our heads in the sand.
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Yup, I'm not a real avid "environmentalist", but I Do read the news and weather reports...and it's pretty obvious that the climate is changing. People of our generation who live in fire prone or hurricane zones are already seeing the consequences, and future generations will suffer exponentially. The planet Has warmed, and cooled, substantially in the past, but back then there weren't billions of people and trillions of dollars of infrastructure that were exposed. Human activity is Certainly a contributor...it's not unusual to see a news report of places in Asia where the air is so polluted that people have to wear masks. I would not want to be here 100+ years into the future.
 
I am especially scared now as 2 of my brothers are in the LA area and LA. One is close to LA and the other is 2 miles from the fires. The one 2 miles aways says he is not in danger. I told him that 2 miles is not far and to have a plan of action. I hope they both will be safe along with their families. It looks like almost the entire state is in flames. I so wish it would :rain:there!
 
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3.1 million acres burned in Montana last summer..... partially due to enviro suits against the lumber cos and forest service preventing logging and thinning, I hope some of those enviros live close to the fires in CA to get a taste of what their policies have helped create.
 
So far my family members and friends in SO CAL are okay. But these fires are really scaring me.
 
Ruthanne said:
I am especially scared now as 2 of my brothers are in the LA area and LA. One is close to Bel Air and the other is 2 miles from the fires. The one 2 miles aways says he is not in danger. I told him that 2 miles is not far and to have a plan of action. I hope they both will be safe along with their families. It looks like almost the entire state is in flames. I so wish it would :rain:there!
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Hope your brothers stay safe too Ruthanne, fire is a scary thing and I also wish it would rain. It's been bone dry by me, so I don't know how much better it would be in California.
 
Watching it all on the news here in the UK...my heart goes out to everyone involved, thinking of you all, and your pets and wildlife,...heartbreaking...
 
I was watching some news earlier, and the reporter was interviewing one of the fire chiefs. The chief said he sees little relief in site, and fully expects these fires to still be burning at Christmas. None of them are contained, and with the strong winds expected to continue, all they can do is try to create some fire breaks to limit the damage to homes and properties. Another report said this is already the worst fires this region has seen, and if they continue for weeks more, the damage will be awful.
 
Don M. said:
I was watching some news earlier, and the reporter was interviewing one of the fire chiefs. The chief said he sees little relief in site, and fully expects these fires to still be burning at Christmas. None of them are contained, and with the strong winds expected to continue, all they can do is try to create some fire breaks to limit the damage to homes and properties. Another report said this is already the worst fires this region has seen, and if they continue for weeks more, the damage will be awful.
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Thankfully though as of yesterday only one person has died but quite a few horses and other animals were lost. :(
 
SeaBreeze said:
Hope your brothers stay safe too Ruthanne, fire is a scary thing and I also wish it would rain. It's been bone dry by me, so I don't know how much better it would be in California.
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Thank you SeaBreeze, I am worried and having a hard time sleeping. There are so many fires there now.
 
Don M. said:
California...especially the Southern half...is likely to become the "poster child" for the ravages of Climate Change. Higher temperatures, and lower amounts of precipitation are quite likely to become the norm in coming years. That, coupled with a huge population base, spells the potential for some real problems in the future. SoCal, and anywhere along the Gulf and Eastern coasts will become increasingly stressed by weather events. Recent reports by the climate scientists point strongly to an increase in rising oceans...which will put the coastal areas in trouble even sooner than previously predicted.
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Don. This is what's happening. They get rain and the undergwoth flourishes. Then drought and the undergrowth dries. Now from what I read they are not allowed to clear the undergrowth. So perfect conditions for fire to spread. The winds have been there for centuries and recur every year. But now there are homes in their path. I don't think in my opinion it has anything to do with climate change at all. Why build in a risk area?
 
I've now heard from both brothers and they say they are okay. I hope it stays that way.
 

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