The LA Wildfires

[kippaxwarrior]

It is a tragedy for LA, but most of those affected probably have wealth and insurance. It is stressful, but what about those in Tibet who lost all they had, which wasn’t much, and also lost many of their family members, for example? Same goes for poorer countries that get tragedies like this frequently, I am sorry but I can’t weep for Hollywood stars unless they help those who cannot afford to rebuild their lives.

You do realize that 99% of the people affected are not Hollywood superstars. Whole communities have been completely destroyed

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

The men and women fighting this fire onthe ground are heroes. We had a close shave with a wild fire about ten years ago, it is a truly terrifyig sight. Once they get hold they create their own micro climate sucking in surrounding air at ground level and pushing it up into the atmosphere, driving away cooler air.

I've still got some of the flakes that fell around our "stuga". They are as big as the palm of your hand and we were still 3-4 km from the flame front. The map below shows how it spread:
blue = day 1
yellow = day 2
orange = midday day 3
red = evening day 3

I had one too a few years back — wind aided fire coming over a hill in northeastern CA while I was visiting friends and we saw it coming and the Cal Hiway Patrol pounded on the door and told us to get out ASAP. And we hopped in a truck and took off. Thankfully the fire was stopped by a river but burned to the edge and we were on the other side — who knows where the embers could have gone.

One of the volunteer endeavo(u)rs I want to work on in retirement is raising money for firefighter mental health.

 

[jimharri]

Please; no politicking (overt or covert) on here, please. There's a politics sub forum in place for just that.

 

[jimharri]

 

[TinFoilHat]

Just been watching Katy Tur and her hubby on MSNBC. Both look visibally distressed seeing the desolation. She grew up there and was holding it well whilst reporting friends of hers asked her to look for their homes which had all been destroyed.

The displacement figures will be a real head scratcher for the authorities when the figures are in. Not to mention the economic losses.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I do remember this well as I lived in Palo Alto (near Silicon Valley) at the time. Nearly 3K structures and 25 dead, $1.5B in damage but that was over 30 years ago and the area of LA that burned is even wealthier than the Oakland Hills. The area is fully back now but it took probably a decade.

Oakland firestorm of 1991 - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[PinkFinal]

It's incredible that a fire starting in someone's yard (which is mentioned as possible cause in this) accidentally ends up with this inferno. They're playing a vicious blame game but it must go deeper than what the resources available are capable of doing.

Astonishing video shows LA's scorched earth

Footage reveals how blocks of idyllic LA homes are now nothing more than smouldering ruins with only charred tree stumps and building struts left standing amid the detritus.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

It's incredible that a fire starting in someone's yard (which is mentioned as possible cause in this) accidentally ends up with this inferno. They're playing a vicious blame game but it must go deeper than what the resources available are capable of doing.

Astonishing video shows LA's scorched earth

Footage reveals how blocks of idyllic LA homes are now nothing more than smouldering ruins with only charred tree stumps and building struts left standing amid the detritus.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Guess it’s no different to the moors fires over here being started by one tiny barbecue.

If the ground is tinder box dry, then they take some stopping.

 

[TinFoilHat]

It's incredible that a fire starting in someone's yard (which is mentioned as possible cause in this) accidentally ends up with this inferno. They're playing a vicious blame game but it must go deeper than what the resources available are capable of doing.

Astonishing video shows LA's scorched earth

Footage reveals how blocks of idyllic LA homes are now nothing more than smouldering ruins with only charred tree stumps and building struts left standing amid the detritus.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The politicising of it all is annoying me.

I'd rather that was saved until it's over and all facts are established.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Guess it’s no different to the moors fires over here being started by one tiny barbecue.

If the ground is tinder box dry, then they take some stopping.

The wind speed was also high when we had fires on the Moors a few years ago, the wind direction kept changing as well. Fast moving and difficult to predict it's direction with any certainty.

 

[BlueHammer85]

The politicising of it all is annoying me.

I'd rather that was saved until it's over and all facts are established.

Zero chance in Musks world.

 

[BungleBear]

Sounds like a band that would have thrown down a solid AM track in 1976.

 

[city2]

Guess it’s no different to the moors fires over here being started by one tiny barbecue.

If the ground is tinder box dry, then they take some stopping.

There’s a big difference in the fact that thousands have lost their homes and memories which can’t be replaced.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Shocking footage.

 

[.db.]

Yes I of course feel sorry for people affected in L.A. But I’m afraid that as I listen to people in tears and upset at homes being burned down I can’t help wondering how they feel as so many thousands and thousands in Gaza not only see their homes bombed (not a natural disaster) and their children killed? I bet most of them have never given a shit

 

[ninjamonkey]

Apparently they haven't had rainfall for 262 days. If that is the case, and they know these wildfires are a substantial threat, why aren't they doing something pre-emptive? Surely they can have a system in place that drops water on high risk areas after so many days without rain. I get that's going to cost, but in such an affluent country/area that has to be a worthwhile cost if it helps prevent even one of these incidents.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Not giving a shit is all relative.

Someone could ask you why you (or any of us) are here posting rather than out knocking on doors raising awareness or collecting funds for Gaza — or any of zillions of other causes.

And isn’t presuming that you know what “most of them” think or how “most of them” act or have acted just dehumaniz(s)ing them?

and closer to home thousands of flooded homes and businesses have been flooded in the last 3 weeks and there are 41 flood warnings in place right now yet the UK news leads on rich peoples homes in a luxury area being burned. That same news has no interest in the retired couple flooded out in Devon or a single mum with kids losing everything in a flood in Sale - I don't fucking care about the Zionist James Woods losing his house nor about Paris Hilton's home going up in smoke.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Apparently they haven't had rainfall for 262 days. If that is the case, and they know these wildfires are a substantial threat, why aren't they doing something pre-emptive? Surely they can have a system in place that drops water on high risk areas after so many days without rain. I get that's going to cost, but in such an affluent country/area that has to be a worthwhile cost if it helps prevent even one of these incidents

That sounds sensible.
I had a summer home in Turkey for a good few years and every 2nd evening a truck would come around and spray water, then the following day it would spread a mist of anti mosquito spray.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Apparently they haven't had rainfall for 262 days. If that is the case, and they know these wildfires are a substantial threat, why aren't they doing something pre-emptive? Surely they can have a system in place that drops water on high risk areas after so many days without rain. I get that's going to cost, but in such an affluent country/area that has to be a worthwhile cost if it helps prevent even one of these incidents.

Errrrrrr . . . not sure if serious.

 

[Barcon]

Errrrrrr . . . not sure if serious.

What are you talking about? It's been well documented.