California Fires

thnking of those who are living with this threat, hope you are all safe and keeping well

cheers smokey

According to the latest reports, almost 500,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. Over 700 houses have been destroyed. Those homes probably averaged $600K each (a loss of over $420,000,000, just in homes - not including any other property damage and loss).

Pretty scary! Those Santa Ana winds are trouble almost every year, but this is the worst almost anyone has ever seen!

Chester

From what I've seen on the news reports, most of Southern California is having trouble with these fires. Hope you and your family, Jim, are not in any danger.
Cheers - Jay

The fires are bad and affecting a lot of people, but it is only a small part of Southern California that is dealing with the fires.. the fire is just in a populated area, that's what is making it so bad. They have had a very bad fire season this year and it is odd since they did not have a lot of rain growth.

Hope all are safe and they get the situation under control soon.

Mike

Here's hopeing that any member here from Calif, is not: "In Harm's Way" pardon the pun.

This sounds very much like what was going on in South Georgia earlier this year, except the Georgia fires where in less populated areas.

Our thoughts go out to all effected by this disaster.

My heart goes out to those who have lost homes in the fire. A house can be rebuilt, but the personal items and memories lost can not be replaced. I hope they get the fires under control quickly. I can't imagine how wore out the fire-fighters are, but they keep on going.

Mark

Thanks to those who have expressed concern for us. I'm thankful that we are 500 miles away from the fire disaster in southern CA.

A day later, they are reporting over 1300 homes destroyed, over 1 million people evacuated, over 1 BILLION dollars in property damage, but only 5 fire-related deaths, thank goodness.

Chester

I took this link from the Drudge report. It talks about Al-Qaeda using fire as a terror weapon. It's possible.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/w…-07-11-alqaeda-fire_x.htm

What's even more funny is all the global warming talk. When I was stationed in San Diego for 4 years every year they would complain about the Santa Anna winds and how they hoped there wouldn't be no fires. It happened over 20 years ago and way before that as well and now its all global warming's fault.

Global warming . . . ri-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ight!

I am more inclined to believe the possibility of terrorism, as I've heard several reports in that direction in the past day.

Back in 1970, there was the first big fire in the Oakland hills (just across the bay from San Francisco) and I remember standing on a road looking out across to the next hill, watching the trees blowing up into flames coming in our direction, and everybody speculating on who might have started the fire. As it turned out, they arrested an off-duty firefighter who was looking for some overtime. That fire only took out about 40 to 50 houses. The next fire in the same area was back in 1990, in October, and it took out 2,377 homes and 433 apartment units, and killed 25 people. That disaster was just one year after the Loma Prieta earthquake (7.1 on the Richter scale), which did devastating damage, but killed relatively few people, all things considered. We were shakin' and bakin' those two years!

Chester

Hi

I have just watched the latest reports on our television they seem to think that the wind is changing and that they may have it under control. Glad that everyone is alright.

Regards

Arthur

the other problem is these rich idiots building houses in these areas need to understand that stuff like this is going to happen. Nothing you can do about it but move, or build a big sprinkler system that is attached to your million dollar pool!!!

. . . as Senator Everett Dirkson used to say, "A million dollars here, a million dollars there . . . the next thing you know you're talking about a lot of money!"

Update that to today's economy, just substitute 'trillion' for 'million'.

Chester

Seeing the vast area covered by these fires is a horrible site. What has always concerned me is how easy it is, especially in areas hit by drought, to start fires that end up destroying thousands of acres of beautiful forests and the homes built within them. So many people who smoke just toss their butts out the window and never look back. I remember when I was a kid and watched Smokey the Bear speak of not doing that. We live in a world with so many thoughtless people, and to me, that's more dangerous than terrorist, because with so many people focusing more on cell phones, radios, fixing their hair, etc., etc....they don't seem to be aware of the world around them. They are mindless and IMO selfish people who are a danger to themselves and other's . It's hard enough to find terrorist, how can we monitor fools when they are in mass numbers?....Really gets my feathers ruffled...I pray this situation is under control very soon for the poor people in California.

Well said Cindy, well said. There has been many-a-time when I was driving on the Interstate, when i'd see a lit cigarrette tossed and hitting my windshield and embers going every-which-way.

And California also having to worry about those sick people (arsonists) who are addicted to playing with fire-and setting some areas on fire which result in the loss of a persons home, wild and tamed animals, and so much more. I never could understand a person's addiction to playing with fire.