I'm surrounded by flames... California fires

[Ben Kenobi]

One thing to be thankful for, I believe the current death toll is only 5 people! That's amazing for the amount of area and the number of people directly affected by the fire. I don't know any natural disaster of that magnitude with so few casulties.

[Pekka]

"It's so hard to sympathize with people who have so much money they can live in these nice homes in the beautiful trees and hills/mountains. "

I know! I, for example, hate it when Jews get all those nice homes there. Another thing I usually don't symphatize with is when black people are homeless. I mean, with all the basketball skills and the better lives they live? No way dude, I know it's wrong but I can't help it but feel sorry for other people instead. People like me.

[DinoDoc]

Have they caught the arsonist yet?

[Pekka]

What do you guys think... are there multiple arsonists? I mean this kind of thing could be exciting for pyros, so they might act individually without the knowledge of each other as well, just to continue the fire.

I think there's some though penalties waiting and they'll deserve it.

[Vesayen]

Originally posted by Lancer
Geeez! I had no idea. Hey, just finished rereading 'The Alien Years', anyone see anything unusual in LA? Hmm, that's kind of an open question...any space aliens starting fires with space ship exaust?

Great book!

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Pekka
What do you guys think... are there multiple arsonists?

They've arrested 5 people so far on such charges during this spate of fires.

[MichaeltheGreat]

All of whom so far seem to be copycats and other useless scum, not the perps for the larger fars which are known to be arson.

[DinoDoc]

Yeah, I know. Even the Governor is chipping into the reward windfall that awaits anyone who turns in the real ****ers. To tell you the truth, I'm suprised that none of the scum who have been caught in the act of setting fires have been shot so far.

[Dinner]

What's really annoying is watching Major Jerry Sanders continually pat himself on the back "for a job well done". What the hell did he do? He sure didn't approve money for more fire fighters, helecopters, or other equipment which the post 2003 Cedar Fire investigation said was needed. Even the new reverse 911 system used to notify people of evacuations was planned & payed for by the state as was the new radio & computer systems to allow all emergency services branches to coordinate operations.

Sander's sole accomplishment during the crisis was holding PR stunts where he tried to make himself look good. His press conferences didn't even give out much new information. If anyone deserves kudos it is the police chief and the fire chief not the mayor.

[Dinner]

The Feds greatly improved their disaster response time since the Katrina debacle. It took something like a week and a half before they did anything after Katrina where as they actually got Federal fire control aircraft into So Cal 4 days after the fires broke out. That's still 4 days to long but much better then 2 weeks.

Governor Schwarzenegger managed to get nearly all of the state's fire aircraft here in just 8 hours. Does it really take 96 hours to fly federal planes from other states to California? It seems like there is room for considerable improvement on the Federal Response time though thankfully California has a lot more local and state resources then Louisiana.

[Dis]

still can't believe there had to be any deaths. How could they not know about the fire? Why didn't they get out? Maybe they were elderly or disabled and had too much pride to call people to get out.

Some people are just too stubborn to lose their homes. They think material objects mean something.

As for arsonists, could be a variety of reasons. I doubt it's whacko anarchists/communists, but it's a possibility. But most likely just a general antisocial type.

[Lancer]

Can't they do more to prevent such disasters? Small local burns during rainy times when the winds aren't blowing. They must have thought of it, so why not do it?

[Lancer]

Originally posted by Vesayen


Great book!

I brought it and read it last trip and wasn't impressed, but this trip I enjoyed it very much. I've got 'Rice and Salt' on the shelf I intend to eat this trip first time.

[Kuciwalker]

What's the local opinion so far on Schwarzenegger's handling of the fires?

[b etor]

bad