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Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on October 24, 2007, 08:31 AM:
 
They're really going through much of what the people during Katrina went through, need our prayers and support - Might be friends of ours, but they are friends really , Shorty
 
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 24, 2007, 10:57 AM:
 
It is sad to see, but fortunately, i have noticed that these fires tend to happen in the rich districts, so while they have lost thier houses; with all thier insurance, they'll no doubt rebuild.

My wife and I talked about this a lot, and I bet the people in these rich neighborhoods ought to hire a covert person with a video camera, (Sadly, Super 8mm wouldn't do for this), and catch these SOB'S who are starting the fires!

I'm convinced that someone is starting these fires. You ever notice that these fires are not ravaging trailer home parks?

No, it's always these rich districts.

Probably some over-zealous enviromentalists who are mis-guidingly trying to protect some "rare rat" who happens to live in the same area. Honestly, this kind of thing has happened AND been proved before.

However, i do feel sad for them as well. Good post.
 
Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on October 24, 2007, 11:31 AM:
 
I have two dear friends in Malibu. They live on the hills, where the fires rage. Just got a text message that they were OK.
Firefighters are obviously doing a tremendous job. Kudos.
Hopefully, the arsonist will be caught.
 
Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on October 24, 2007, 12:15 PM:
 
I used to travel to San Diego and Tijuana a lot for work (Electronics), and I have a lot of friends out there. The last three days most businesses have been closed and Interstate 5, the main North-South highway is closed because the visibility is often zero due to the smoke.

That part of California is extremely dry, basically always on the edge of a drought. I guess all it took was a slight further dip in humidity and the vegetation became a tinderbox.

We had something similar happen here in 1995. Our forestlands out east were catching fire almost daily. We had fire crews from four counties holding the flames back from people's houses and they were fortunately very successful.

I've never looked at a rainstorm quite the same way ever since. Nature thrives in balance, and just enough rain is a very good thing.
 
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 24, 2007, 01:43 PM:
 
That's true as well Steve, (you know, tis topic should probzbly be in "gerneral yak")

One of the problems in building in a forested area is that forest fires can and will happen naturally. It's part ofthe cycle of life.

I appreciated on "60 minutes" this last Sunday, when they did a report on this last year being one of the largest fire seasons on record. The forestry service said (honestly) that a large part of the reason for these major fires was due to the policies they have been following over the past 100 years ...

... that being, the forestry service id it's best to stop fires as quick as they could before they could eat up lots of timberland. by doing this, they allowed a lot of thick undergrowth to build up over the years, which would usually be burn up regularly by fires. With the excessive undergrowth drying out, this made for excellent tinder for major fires like we are seeing now. of course they didn't know the ramifications of thier actions back then.

... and the funny thing is, before there were forestry services, the forests existed for 1000's of years, thru fire after fire. It seems like he forests themselves could take care of themselves without our managing them!
 
Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on October 24, 2007, 02:18 PM:
 
Oh, nature goes on, continuously changing. We're the fragile ones really. When they put out forest fires they are certainly saving human life and buildings, and preserving standing timber for future lumbering, but the forest itself couldn't care less!

There are actually many species of trees that require fire in order for their cones to open and their seeds to drop to the forest floor. They just hang out waiting for the undergrowth to be wiped out so their "kids" won't have so much competition. Suppressing fire actually endangers these trees.

Planned burns are being done these days to allow this cycle to continue without endangering people when it runs amok, as it eventually has to if the fuel is never burned off.

Yep! This is a General Yak if there ever was one!
 
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 24, 2007, 07:01 PM:
 
Very good news to report about the fire situation!

Police shot and killed a man caught in the act of setting another fire. it ought to be interesting to find out if this was just some random arsonist OR some militant environmentalist.

(By the way folks, don't get me wrong. i don't have a thing against envorinmentalist. In fact I consider myself one, but these militants don't care about who they hurt)

... and they also are tracking down a second person that someone phoned ina call saying that they saw someone else starting another fire.

Forgive my french, but I hope that they nail the bastard!
 
Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on October 24, 2007, 11:15 PM:
 
Thank you for the kind words.

The fires came within about 3 miles of us but were happy to not need to evacuate. Yes, arson is suspect in about half of the cases, while more than one (including the Malibu fire) were caused by power lines downed by the unbelievable winds (gusts 60-100 MPH for days on end). And the latest San Diego fire began from an accident inside a house. Well, I presume it was an accident.

Unfortunately our friends in San Diego and in the San Bernardino mountains are not faring as well. I am horrified and sorry for them.

To be sure, there are wealthy communities involved because these fires are all in areas where open space is adjacent to homes. However, I can assure you that far more of us are just everyday homeowners having a tremendous fright. And this isn't about environmentalists. There are some way sick people who love to see things burn, and that's what I expect to be revealed about all of this. That's part of life here in Southern California, and it keeps happening when the weather is like this.

Where did you hear about the arson suspect being shot and killed?
 
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 25, 2007, 03:42 PM:
 
Bill,

It was stated on NBC news last night, (5:30 p.m. mountain time).

I hope that they catch all the rest, and force thier noses into the burnt earth, tie them up and leave them in the midst of the now homeless people and let THEM decide what would be a just penalty.

Hey, if you just put them in prison for the rest of thier lives, that isn't just. They'll never be able to pay off finacially what they have caused.

One neat (less violent) idea i have, is actually have the SOB's constructing the homes of those who's lives they have wrecked.

Show them the bodies of all the dead pets/animals, (particularly affective if thier environmentalists) and wasn't thier an actual HUMAN fatality?

Yes, there ARE penalties for arsonists. It isn't some "victimless crime."
 
Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on October 25, 2007, 05:16 PM:
 
I like your idea of justice.
 
Posted by Barry Johnson (Member # 84) on October 26, 2007, 12:47 PM:
 
Very commendable and heartfelt comments,that I have no doubt.But what about the same things that happened in Greece in the summer? Not many,if any words for them.Perhaps there were no rich people to worry about and no 8mm film makers either.
 
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 26, 2007, 01:21 PM:
 
Sincerely Barry, i didn't even know about the fires Greece, my apologies, they have lives too, and feel for thier loss.
 
Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on October 26, 2007, 02:07 PM:
 
Barry you make a good point, the fires in Greece were utterly devestating, ruining both lives and livelihoods. Maybe no more or less so than the fires in California but certtainly on a par.

And also largely started by arsonists I believe...

Mike
 


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