New Wildfires in California

So, the wildfires are set, Cal. is a failing state, unemployment, inflation rates and property taxes could be killing.
Maybe a couple barges pushing Cal. up to Alaska would be better options.
 

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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So, don't buy property that is in fire zone. Property values plumet, taxes drop, cause!
 

Canada and Mexico Are Sending Teams to Help California Fight the Fires​

Air tankers, firefighters and technicians from the neighboring countries are on their way to Los Angeles in a show of solidarity.

When Canada was fighting wildfires in Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia in 2023, blazes that would go on to eventually burn more than 45 million acres, more than 2,000 American firefighters helped extinguish the flames.

Now, Canada has returned the favor. It is sending air tankers and dozens of its own battle-tested wildland firefighters to Los Angeles, its government said. Air tankers can deliver thousands of gallons of fire retardant or water to wildland firefighters on the ground.

More personnel and equipment from Ontario, Quebec and Alberta are ready to be mobilized, according to government officials. And a team of senior technical staff members from British Columbia will fill specialized roles, the government said.

Mexico quickly followed, dispatching a crew of firefighters early Saturday to help the huge deployment already underway.
Mexico and Canada Are Sending Firefighters to California to Help Put Out Wildfires
 
I was born in LosAngeles, grew up in a beach town, You can take the girl out of California but you can't take the California out of the girl. I have 2 cousins left in Calif, one lives a bit north of Sacramento, the other in Chula Vista. I love them both and am happy that they are far from the fires. So frightening for all Californians, so heartbreaking to see the destruction.
 
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OldFeller said:
If people stayed, wet down their houses, and then stand guard with a hose, they might still have a house. No fire trucks were there to protect the homes...

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Tell that to the family of the man they found dead with a garden hose still in his hands! He was trying to save his house. His sister is devastated as she had gone to the house to tell him to get out but didn't see him.
 
Paco Dennis said:
If all I had was a garden hose, I don't think that would be enough. The fires are intensely hot.
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The radiant heat may well kill you before the flames reach you.
OldFeller said:
That's my feeling too. All these years of fighting wildfires and there's no progress in the technology for doing so.
A lot like cancer research.
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There's a lot of progress being made in both fields, in this case the fire hazards have advanced at greater rate than the technology.
Australia learnt a lot from the 2019 - 2020 fires and that knowledge is shared with all firfighters.
wisenior said:
DEI
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*Facepalm*
wisenior said:
Yes, $150B worth of proof.
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*Even bigger facepalm*
Pepper said:
Of course everyone hired Must be competent!
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I don't care who extinguishes the fires. Australia has an extensive network of volunteer fire brigades, they'll take anyone willing and capable.
 
Rakaia said:
The radiant heat may well kill you before the flames reach you.

There's a lot of progress being made in both fields, in this case the fire hazards have advanced at greater rate than the technology.
Australia learnt a lot from the 2019 - 2020 fires and that knowledge is shared with all firfighters.

*Facepalm*

*Even bigger facepalm*

I don't care who extinguishes the fires. Australia has an extensive network of volunteer fire brigades, they'll take anyone willing and capable.
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I donate quarterly to the Rural Fire Service, a largely volunteer organisation. Every Summer they tend to lose some equipment to the fires. IMO they are all heroes and heroines.
 
Mother Nature is indifferent. Don't blame California for the fires. When forest fuels get dry and the wind blows, fires get out of control, and the drier and windier the worse it gets. Welcome to what may well be a new era where blaming others won't help solve the problem.
 
StarSong said:
Exactly so, Ronni. The (often ignorant) musings of politicians intent on scoring points and people who don't understand Los Angeles topography nor its wind challenges can be crazy-making. I'm at the point of barely skimming this thread because it's so loaded with ridiculous suggestions and disinformation.

For the record, most FFs - male or female - would be hard pressed to carry a 200+ lb person out of a burning building.
The idea is that when a fire starts, is imminent, or an evacuation order has been issued, get yourself the hell out of there. Stop worrying about rescuing your children's baby pictures and start thinking about which you value more - your life or your stuff.
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There you are Starsong. I saw your post about getting sick so was worried that you’d perhaps gotten Covid. You’ve got these California fires to worry about also. How close are they to you? Do you have a backup plan in case there’s an evacuation? How are your kids doing? Take care Starsong.
 
and just wait until you hear the people screaming about losing their Prop 13 protection...

Finally.

I also doubt the State will allow houses to be built on the Ocean side of the PCH,
don't want to lose that view.
 
I hate to be the bad guy, but............
I'm watching the news about the L.A. fire. A couple is standing in front of the smoldering ashes of their home. The guy says the " we always have fires, but the '93 fire burnt down the first house, so we rebuilt it the same, now it's gone". Wait a minute. The first house burnt to the ground, and on the same lot, you built another all wood home, knowing you're going to probably have another fire?????? To me that's like building a home in the middle of a flood plain, and being amazed when you get flooded out.
 
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JustDave said:
Mother Nature is indifferent. Don't blame California for the fires. When forest fuels get dry and the wind blows, fires get out of control, and the drier and windier the worse it gets. Welcome to what may well be a new era where blaming others won't help solve the problem.
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Yep. The simpleton response of identifying something less than optimal and concluding a disaster is the result of stupidity or bad genes is the refuge of the truly clueless.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Tell that to the family of the man they found dead with a garden hose still in his hands! He was trying to save his house. His sister is devastated as she had gone to the house to tell him to get out but didn't see him.
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That is were my understanding ends. Evacuation orders are in place. He pisses with a waterhose. Sis goes to the house. Do people have zero common sense? We saw and smelled smoke, did a quick neighborhood head count and plan and got out before we would have been a liability and in the way.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I hate to be the bad guy, but............
I'm watching the news about the L.A. fire. A couple is standing in front of the smoldering ashes of their home. The guy says the " we always have fires, but '93 fire burnt down the first house, so we rebuilt it the same, now it's gone". Wait a minute. The first house burnt to the ground, and on the same lot, you built another all wood home, knowing you're going to probably have another fire?????? To me that's like building a home in the middle of a flood plain, and being amazed when you get flooded out.
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People eventually learn to adapt to their environment and in reality can't have everyone living in the same place like a city Then the urban planning types will complain about the sprawling suburbs if they move and build elsewhere.

Alot of the problems here were supporting infrastructure problems like not having available reservoirs of water. It took almost a century of hurricanes to get building codes and structures right in Florida as it will take time for the housing to adapt to a possible fire.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
This is not the first time for massive L.A. fires. You'ld think but now, there would be all kinds of anti-fire building codes.? :unsure:
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If they have pre code construction they would be grand fathered into the old code. Although most municipalities require some kind of lawn mowing and landscaping to help keep the rodents at bay and leave less flammable debris laying around.

The insurance companies on the other hand can either give them incentive to upgrade or not cover them at all if the house is the equivalent of kindling
 
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