Seems like these are becoming more and more common but regardless….these things are providing some scary scary life altering videos.
Lakers game canceled….Rams playoff game in limbo
My buddy’s daughter is stuck in traffic now trying to flee her home near LA and head to Phoenix area for safety.
Climate issues? Forests needing cleaned up? Arsonists? What’s the deal?
My daughter and I were out there in March visiting a friend. I took this picture of her (I edited her out) on the Santa Monica Pier with the Palisades/Malibu coastline in the background. My friend said everything behind her is either on fire or in danger of it
Government ineptitude.
Tragic as shit for the Palisades neighborhood. And a lot of people in wildfire prone areas have lost their insurance coverage. Terrible.
People need to think of California in the same way they think of their body or their car - preventative maintenance needs to happen. Unfortunately California can't let itself think it that manner. Between symbolic ideology and the inability to manage, these types of raging fires are going to not only occur but increase. It's a desperate situation and I feel very bad for the people who are losing everything. I can't imagine!
Dry hydrants, fear of losing rare plants, the refusal of proper controlled burns along with the refusal to irrigate water to certain areas and insurance companies fleeing the state.
I don't know what California will do once these fires die out. I truly hope that they will be more willing to step out of their boxed in brains and try something different again. They've got an army of foresters who aren't allowed to do half of their jobs.
I hope no more people die!
I was in California about 10 years ago during a big fire. We went to check out a beach probably 80 miles from the fires and the ash was like snow except it burnt your eyes and basically required you to wear glasses. We drove then from LA to Vegas. O. The drive there was small fires within 10-15 feet of the highway that no one ever batted an eye at.
posted by friendfromlowry
My daughter and I were out there in March visiting a friend. I took this picture of her (I edited her out) on the Santa Monica Pier with the Palisades/Malibu coastline in the background. My friend said everything behind her is either on fire or in danger of it
She looks just like you
posted by sportchamppsI was in California about 10 years ago during a big fire. We went to check out a beach probably 80 miles from the fires and the ash was like snow except it burnt your eyes and basically required you to wear glasses. We drove then from LA to Vegas. O. The drive there was small fires within 10-15 feet of the highway that no one ever batted an eye at.
No thanks on that
I think there are more people living in areas that aren’t meant to have that level of development. Mother Nature makes it very clear to not live:
- on a flood plain
-on a hurricane prone beach
-next to a volcano
- in the middle of a desert
-in an area that replenishes itself with wildfires
Etc.
I know my home (Cleveland) ain’t sexy. But there’s ample water and no major disaster risk nearby. These “boom” cities in the sunbelt make no sense as they are not sustainable.
posted by Dr Winston O'BoogieI think there are more people living in areas that aren’t meant to have that level of development. Mother Nature makes it very clear to not live:
- on a flood plain
-on a hurricane prone beach
-next to a volcano
- in the middle of a desert
-in an area that replenishes itself with wildfires
Etc.
I know my home (Cleveland) ain’t sexy. But there’s ample water and no major disaster risk nearby. These “boom” cities in the sunbelt make no sense as they are not sustainable.
I don’t know how people in Florida do it, hoping their homes dodge several hurricanes a year.
I guess it being 70 degrees in January helps.
posted by friendfromlowryI don’t know how people in Florida do it, hoping their homes dodge several hurricanes a year.
I guess it being 70 degrees in January helps.
Phoenix as well.
I was reading something a year or two ago that there was a neighborhood built in the greater Phoenix area that was built on land that doesn't sit in any jurisdiction. It required them to actually truck in drinking water because there was no water source available in the areas where the homes were built.
Very much a first world problem.
posted by friendfromlowryI don’t know how people in Florida do it, hoping their homes dodge several hurricanes a year.
I guess it being 70 degrees in January helps.
It really depends on where you live in Florida. I live in Nassau County and there hasn't been a direct hurricane hit here since 1969. We may get outer bands or get the eye after it has traveled through the state, but that has never been a problem. Also, it was 34 today in January, so we are all dying.
posted by friendfromlowryI don’t know how people in Florida do it, hoping their homes dodge several hurricanes a year.
I guess it being 70 degrees in January helps.
posted by MontyBrunswickPhoenix as well.
I was reading something a year or two ago that there was a neighborhood built in the greater Phoenix area that was built on land that doesn't sit in any jurisdiction. It required them to actually truck in drinking water because there was no water source available in the areas where the homes were built.
Very much a first world problem.
Isn’t that the universe’s way of saying “don’t fucking live here -you’re not designed for it”?
posted by Dr Winston O'BoogieIsn’t that the universe’s way of saying “don’t fucking live here -you’re not designed for it”?
Man J.J. Redick with some powerful stuff talking about the fires
Man J.J. Redick with some powerful stuff talking about the fires
Sounds like, at least some of these, were arson. A group of people made a citizens arrest on a guy with some kind of propane tank/flamethrower in Calabasas trying to light objects on fire. There wasn't enough evidence (?????) so the guy was released?
posted by BR1986FBSounds like, at least some of these, were arson. A group of people made a citizens arrest on a guy with some kind of propane tank/flamethrower in Calabasas trying to light objects on fire. There wasn't enough evidence (?????) so the guy was released?
California with the greatest population and greatest # of whackos
posted by Dr Winston O'BoogieI think there are more people living in areas that aren’t meant to have that level of development. Mother Nature makes it very clear to not live:
- on a flood plain
-on a hurricane prone beach
-next to a volcano
- in the middle of a desert
-in an area that replenishes itself with wildfires.
Yeah. It's time to start thinking about real solutions instead of wasting money trying to prevent climate change that actually isn't causing this. Insurance is pulling out of these areas because the rates they need to charge to cover losses would be prohibitive. That means taxpayers in Ohio and other areas not usually hit by disasters are left to foot the bill. And I'm sure in some of these areas, like tornado alley, it's all the people can afford (same issue with people that lost their homes in Hawaii to a volcano eruption 4-5 years ago).
The other interesting thing is from 1988-1997, 88% of fires were caused by people (which includes things like power lines). Yet lightning caused fires burned 52% of the land despite being 12% of the cause.
Wildfires out west have actually been declining, but acreage has increased dramatically. Inadequate management and fewer fires is mainly why it's burning so much more, combined with about 2-decades of mostly drought. A few years of healthy rain and snow only fuels growth that later dries out to become fuel.
Globally, wildfires are decreasing AND acreage burned has been trending down over the last two decades. There may not be a trend either way, and the decline can be attributed to agriculture and other factors. But point being climate change is not causing an increase in frequency or severity (same with hurricanes, and I believe flood events).
It really irks to see the same people that routinely push climate change disinformation accusing people of being anti-science and spreading lies. Media today doesn't deal in information, they deal in narratives. And they attack people who dispute or disagree with the narrative.
As for insurance, I don't know what the solution is but we have to figure it out. If you're going to live on the coast and get whacked by a hurricane, or in the desert and have your home destroyed by wildfire...the question is how do you socialize the losses and should those losses even be socialized beyond the areas affected?
Won't be popular with the environmentalists, but maybe one solution is to have a burn barrier around communities. I think 1/2 mile wide probably would keep the fire from jumping across even in very strong winds. If you choose to live outside those safe zones, then you have to fully accept the risk and cost of loss.
You can add this to the issue of healthcare insurance, too. Bottom line is most people don't want to pay what it actually costs. Maybe it's time to severely restrict FEMA funds to truly unnatural/freak events. The old "1 in 500 year" event sounds rare, but given the size of the US there's going to be a handful of such events every year.
Going to be interesting to see the fall out. Some in CA are going to blame the Dem govt for mismanagement. Others will blame the Dem govt for not doing enough to stop climate change.
