California Fires

[GeoffR]

I speak for myself but I am sure others in Australia feel the same way.

I didn't directly suffer from the fires we endured at the start of this year here. That is, I didn't lose my house or any other property.

But the fear of the fire that came within five miles of where I live remains stark in my mind. A feeling of pure helplessness!

I feel for the folks in California right now and fear for a good friend of mine who lives in the hills behind Nevada City and Grass Valley amongst highly volatile pine trees. Along with bears and deer (and other critters who live there).

I guess what I want to say is that you guys are not alone. Our turn is coming again in a couple of months! We have no choice but to "hang in there". This time though the fire threat is concurrent with this damn virus. I think Australia (and New Zealand) will answer the call from California has today put out to help. As best we can!

We do not forget that three Americans died when their C130 crashed just south of where I live fighting those fires!

Geoff.

 

[JFrank]

I’ve been around a couple / three fires in my life and I can personally say that’s some scary sh$$$t
Stay smart and stay alive’
J

 

[swd]

Thank you for your support! I live about 20 minutes from Grass Valley. The smoke has been terrible for the last week!

 

[bluealtered]

I lived in the Grass Valley/Nevada City area many years ago out past the Cascade Shores property's, it was one way in or out at that time and a very bad place to if a fire came up. The fields full of dead dry two foot tall grass were always a worry around that country during summer. I would think that most of that is homes now.

 

[lb-ft]

Agree wholeheartedly. On the ground for a 70,000 acre wildfire that destroyed over 300 structures. All around us was a scorched wasteland. All we lost was a boat & a utility trailer. Livestock, barn, home, tractors all safe.

It changes your way of thinking with a lot of things. Forever.

 

[FeMan]

Thanks for support. The Atlas Fire came within 4 miles of us a few years ago. This one burnt right up to the fences in our subdivision. We didn't lose any homes in our subdivision but just over the hill they lost almost every home. I talked to my buddy that lived there and found out they had sold their home and closed escrow on August 10th. The house burned down August 21st.

 

[nilebartram]

I live in Santa Cruz. We need a lot of help. I saw blue skies for the first time in nine days. nilebartram

 

[swd]

We had a little rain in the early morning. I woke up to blue sky for the first time in over a week but the smokes coming back in now.

 

[Siko12]

There are some things you can't just run from but you can prepare for them. Get a good insurance.

 

[divingin]

Appreciate the sentiment, Geoff.

Be safe;

John in California

 

[Bill K]

And think and how ignorant Gov Newsom is in California, this other morning he blamed Global Warming for all these fires, rather than the lack of brush/debris control and management, which is giving all the fuel to burn, from the lighting strikes and a few man made fires. Then of course the low numbers of personal to fight them all, in the manner than they are scattered from one end of the state to the other.

 

[swd]

And think and how ignorant Gov Newsom is in California, this other morning he blamed Global Warming for all these fires, rather than the lack of brush/debris control and management, which is giving all the fuel to burn, from the lighting strikes and a few man made fires. Then of course the low numbers of personal to fight them all, in the manner than they are scattered from one end of the state to the other.

I occasionally work with Cal Fire inmate crews. Since Newsolini let everyone out of jail where we had 16 man inmate fire crews they’re lucky to have 10 men and we have less crews altogether. The crews this week are getting worn out from going from fire to fire with no rest.

 

[GeoffR]

There are some things you can't just run from but you can prepare for them. Get a good insurance.

I was able to speak with my friend in Camptonville today. He's OK at the moment with smoke occasionally passing through. BTW, he lives on a road, in a small house, called "Moonshine Road" that apparently was where the pop group Supertramp wrote their song "Sister Moonshine". Or so the story goes. He lives there with a couple of dogs, some bears and deer, and at least one AK-47. And a LOT of pine trees (and BIG ones)!

Anyway, he was telling me that after the fire destroyed Paradise (last year?) his insurance increased tenfold. To $10k per year!

??????

He has managed to get it reduced to $5k per year but were he to get burned out he would not be able to rebuild from the payout.

And his property is currently worthless. He can't sell it - at any price. - due to it being in a fire danger zone. I wonder if the $110 per week its costing in insurance is really good money spent!

He is not alone. I have visited that area a few times (and have fond memories). The folk there - and generally in that area and elsewhere in such places in the USA - are not wealthy people. They are all in the same boat. So when I think about the word "fear", this sort of situation sort of changes the flavour of the word.

Should he, and I presume others (his neighbours), get burnt out (as others have in California) then they stand to lose everything. I feel for them.

This has happened here in Australia. There are people here living still in tents eight months after they lost their homes, live stock - everything. A lot were not insured as they couldn't afford it. And are left with nothing but the charity. Mental health is a major issue. Many lives have been lost.

I have not suffered like them. I personally don't know how to help. With COVID we can't travel far - if at all. Money has been provided but is slow to get distributed - fraud attempts and COVID being the excuses. Insurance payouts are slow.

I don't know when this will stop but I wish it would!

 

[Texas10]

I occasionally work with Cal Fire inmate crews. Since Newsolini let everyone out of jail where we had 16 man inmate fire crews they’re lucky to have 10 men and we have less crews altogether. The crews this week are getting worn out from going from fire to fire with no rest.

How ironic you call Gov. Newsom a fascist dictator while championing the use of slave labor to drive profitability for politically connected private businesses.

 

[swd]

How ironic you call Gov. Newsom a fascist dictator while championing the use of slave labor to drive profitability for politically connected private businesses.

LOl, the inmate fire crews are 100% volunteer. They can rot in prison or do something that helps society.

 

[divingin]

I believe the prison crews also receive a small stipend for doing the fire work as well. Though I may be wrong on that. In any case I respect anyone willing to put in the work on the front lines of these fires. Tough, dangerous job.

Geoff; several people in my area have also received notice that their homes insurance has been cancelled. Mine, luckily, has not been (yet.)

For those wondering about clearing undergrowth and leaf litter and such, I'd recommend coming out and taking a tour of California (block out about a year on your calendar) before saying stupid stuff like "the government should clean it up". That's like saying that "Alaska should melt their ice to get more usable land".

 

[Texas10]

LOl, the inmate died crews are 100% volunteer. They can rot in prison or do something that helps society.

That is exactly right. And for every "volunteer" there is one less paid firefighter. Free labor is still free labor regardless of the motivation.

 

[ebb]

My brother was a firefighter in West Palm Beach fl. He and his crew answered a call to the Hilton in WPB that was on fire due to a roofing kettle catching on fire then setting off 2 very large LP gas tanks that were close to the kettle to fuel it. On the approach to the Hilton my brother says over the PA to the driver of the truck stop here i want to take a look and make a plan before we run into this mess. The exploding tanks of LP had set half a dozen cars on fire and had grass and shrubbery burning every where. After a plan was formed all went well. The guys and gals working these forest fires deal with this on every fire they work. They can die any minute of any day, all it may take is a wind change.

 

[Bill K]

How ironic you call Gov. Newsom a fascist dictator while championing the use of slave labor to drive profitability for politically connected private businesses.

Interesting talk, slave labor.. I have dealt directly with some of the inmate crews, over the years. While it is true the wages they are paid into their accounts is pennies on the dollar, 99% if them are more than willing to work on the fire crews, enjoy it and it gives them some free time out of the facilities they are doing time in. They are far, far from being slave labor. And for your information, there are probably more white workers than man of color, so stop falling for and using the race card, like others seem too, every time they turn around and have no valid arguments.

 

[Medic505]

no valid arguments

Watch out Bill, if you win an argument against a liberal, that makes you a racist.