California Fires

JaJae · 10-22-2007, 03:04 PM

Calif. fires force 250,000 to evacuate - Yahoo! News

Calif. fires force 250,000 to evacuate

By ALLISON HOFFMAN and GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated Press Writers 13 minutes ago

SAN DIEGO - Wildfires fanned by fierce desert winds consumed huge swaths of bone-dry Southern California on Monday, burning buildings and forcing evacuations from Malibu to San Diego, including a jail, a hospital and nursing homes.

...

The fires have burned about 100,000 acres, or 156 square miles, in San Diego County, county Supervisor Ron Roberts said. Across the region, 40,000 acres, or 62 square miles, had burned by Sunday; among the structures destroyed in Malibu were a church, homes and a historic castle.

"This is a major emergency," Roberts said.

In many cases, crews couldn't begin to fight the fires because they were too busy rescuing residents who refused to leave, fire officials said.

"They didn't evacuate at all, or delayed until it was too late," Metcalf said. "And those folks who are making those decisions are actually stripping fire resources."

Hopefully Wonderland and Dumpy are OK. If you guys are please check in with us.

AVengeance · 10-22-2007, 03:07 PM

This is what the enviro-wackos get for demanding ten permits and a fee for cutting a blade of grass. That said, I hope everyone gets away from the fire okay.

7960 · 10-22-2007, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by AVengeance

This is what the enviro-wackos get for demanding ten permits and a fee for cutting a blade of grass. That said, I hope everyone gets away from the fire okay.

fire is the natural course of things....preventing it completely only creates fuel and makes for bigger fires later.

Donkey® · 10-22-2007, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by AVengeance

This is what the enviro-wackos get for demanding ten permits and a fee for cutting a blade of grass.

Way to turn "nature" into "fucking liberals."

Joe_Cool · 10-22-2007, 04:33 PM

I can't get my job done, because all the forest service people in california are out fighting fires.

When are people going to learn not to fuck with the natural order? These huge infernos are the direct result of 100 years of aggressive, proactive fire prevention. Instead of getting small fires once in a while that burn off the dead leaves and pine needles then burn themselves out and promote forest growth, we get these monster fires that destroy everything, because the forest floor is buried in 5 or 6 inches of tinder and they burn longer.

WickedLou9 · 10-22-2007, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by AVengeance

This is what the enviro-wackos get for demanding ten permits and a fee for cutting a blade of grass. That said, I hope everyone gets away from the fire okay.

I don't think it has anything to do with "enviro-wackos" and rather the prevention of fires previously which allowed "fuel" to build up. People live in more and more of the state, and when areas become populated they don't want to just let them burn.

WickedLou9 · 10-22-2007, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by Joe_Cool

I can't get my job done, because all the forest service people in california are out fighting fires.

When are people going to learn not to fuck with the natural order? These huge infernos are the direct result of 100 years of aggressive, proactive fire prevention. Instead of getting small fires once in a while that burn off the dead leaves and pine needles then burn themselves out and promote forest growth, we get these monster fires that destroy everything, because the forest floor is buried in 5 or 6 inches of tinder and they burn longer.

I was watching something and they said that there is actually a movement now to build houses and developments in these fire prone areas in such a way that they are fire resistant so that they can allow small fires to run thier course. Things like metal roofs and natural bariers and "fire routes".

7960 · 10-22-2007, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

I don't think it has anything to do with "enviro-wackos" and rather the prevention of fires previously which allowed "fuel" to build up. ....

I thought that's what he said...enviro-wackos. They squelch every fire as it's started, don't want to let fire ruin pristine forests, etc. Now, like you said, there's so much fuel there it's impossible to stop a fire.

A developer is someone who wants to build houses in the forest. An enviro-wacko is someone who already has one.

7960 · 10-22-2007, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

I was watching something and they said that there is actually a movement now to build houses and developments in these fire prone areas in such a way that they are fire resistant so that they can allow small fires to run thier course. Things like metal roofs and natural bariers and "fire routes".

Isn't that like saying it's ok to build houses in a flood zone as long as they float? It sounds like a plan a 5th grader thought up.

"............and when the flood is going down we can go get the houses and float them back to their land and then as the water leaves we can make sure it lands on the foundation!"

garbagemanlb · 10-22-2007, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

I thought that's what he said...enviro-wackos. They squelch every fire as it's started, don't want to let fire ruin pristine forests, etc. Now, like you said, there's so much fuel there it's impossible to stop a fire.

A developer is someone who wants to build houses in the forest. An enviro-wacko is someone who already has one.

How the fuck are environmentalists to blame? If anything, THEY should be the ones pointing fingers. It is understood that forest fires are a natural occurrence, and I have never heard one environmentalist advocate squelching a fire because it is destroying pristine habitat. The priority in fighting fires is basically to defend people's property, rather than nature.

If you want to criticize people, criticize those who build in heavily wooded areas.

You seriously have no clue what the environmental movement is about if you are going to blame them for shit like this.

RMNIXON · 10-22-2007, 06:17 PM

It just those Santana winds man!

garbagemanlb · 10-22-2007, 06:22 PM

Groups like the Sierra club are for fuel clearing, they just take issue (rightfully so) when logging proposals are disguised as 'fire prevention', and often make the situations worse by allowing weeds and other quick-burning shrubs to replace the 'dangerous' old growth timber.

Joe_Cool · 10-22-2007, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by garbagemanlb

How the fuck are environmentalists to blame? If anything, THEY should be the ones pointing fingers. It is understood that forest fires are a natural occurrence, and I have never heard one environmentalist advocate squelching a fire because it is destroying pristine habitat. The priority in fighting fires is basically to defend people's property, rather than nature.

If you want to criticize people, criticize those who build in heavily wooded areas.

You seriously have no clue what the environmental movement is about if you are going to blame them for shit like this.

Um, who do you think it was that started the aggressive fire prevention?

Scrum · 10-22-2007, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by AVengeance

This is what the enviro-wackos get for demanding ten permits and a fee for cutting a blade of grass. That said, I hope everyone gets away from the fire okay.

It's not the enviro-wackos, it's all the homosexuals and abortions.

Possibly also the atheists and scientologists as well.

Scrum · 10-22-2007, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by Joe_Cool

Um, who do you think it was that started the aggressive fire prevention?

The people who built multi-million dollar homes in annual fire zones?

edit - or maybe their insurance companies acting through local government?

I would say the "enviro-wackos" didn't want them building homes out there in the woods at all.

garbagemanlb · 10-22-2007, 08:41 PM

The Role of Fire

Fire is a natural part of the forest and has a role to play in any forest's lifecycle by clearing out brush and restoring nutrients to the soil. But years of overly aggressive fire suppression have left many of our National Forests cluttered with small, highly flammable brush. Overly aggressive fire suppression and extensive logging have created unnatural conditions that lead to huge, hard-to-control fires

The Sierra Club strongly supports prescribed burns as a way to restore fire's natural role to the forest. Sierra Club supports fuel reduction projects near homes and communities. For a decade the Sierra Club has been urging the Forest Service to do more prescribed burning, reduce flammable brush near communities and we've been asking Congress to devote more money to do the job right. The Forest Service should stop pushing for commercial logging and put more resources towards protecting lives and communities.

Campaign Overview - Forests - Sierra Club

Those enviro-wackos!

IminWonderland · 10-23-2007, 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by JaJae

Hopefully Wonderland and Dumpy are OK. If you guys are please check in with us.

It's all good in my hood.

But we are kinda in the middle of all the fires. So, it was super smokey at school today, and ash everywhere. It's been hard to breathe, and head-achey. Yuck.

But, then again, my house could be burning to the ground, so I'm better off.

JaJae · 10-23-2007, 12:34 AM

Originally Posted by IminWonderland

It's all good in my hood.

Good to hear.

WickedLou9 · 10-23-2007, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by 7960

Isn't that like saying it's ok to build houses in a flood zone as long as they float? It sounds like a plan a 5th grader thought up.

"............and when the flood is going down we can go get the houses and float them back to their land and then as the water leaves we can make sure it lands on the foundation!"

ummm... wtf are you talking about? Hey if you build in a flood zone, put your house on stilts. wow people do that. Sounds like an idea a 5th grader thought up.

The idea is a good one. I think you guys are both WAY off base here.

crestwood33 · 10-23-2007, 06:59 AM

Why can't our air force dump water?? The National Guard used to fight fires, where are they?