Any forum members close to the fires in California????

[BERIGAN]

surprised it hasn't been mentioned here before....hope everyone is aok!

[RDK]

I'm not affected by it, though I can see the smoke in just about every direction I look. But down in San Diego, my sister was evacuated yesterday morning, my parents are under voluntary evac orders but refuse to leave yet - - and just this morning another fire broke out off the same road my other sister lives on in Temecula - though fortunately it's a damn long road and the wind's blowing away from her. Meanwhile, my brother-in-law's been evacuated from his home in Orange County, while a coworker has been evacuated from his place in the hills above Malibu. I have several friends in the fire zones whom I haven't been able to reach via e-mail so I assume that they've moved out as well.

To top it all off, my sister (who's already been evacuated) is getting married down in San Diego on Saturday, which means I'll be there on Friday as will various relatives, all converging from various points around the country.

Now aren't you sorry you asked?

[7/4]

I've talked to the folks I know that live there, they all live "in town", so they're OK.

This is a pretty horrible situation.

[BruceH]

I'm aghast at the news from down there.

With all the fires and droughts in the last few years are we going to have any forest left?

[Tim McG]

My brother and his family are....but I don't think they needed to evacuate.

[Tim McG]

I'm aghast at the news from down there.

With all the fires and droughts in the last few years are we going to have any forest left?

Or water supplies.

You should see the Sierra Nevadas....they are dry as a bone right now.

[Guy Berger]

I'm aghast at the news from down there.

With all the fires and droughts in the last few years are we going to have any forest left?

Forest will grow back... A better question is whether it makes sense to have people living in a tinderbox.

Are people who live in these areas of CA required to purchase insurance against wildfire damage?

Guy

Edited October 23, 2007 by Guy

[RDK]

Forest will grow back... A better question is whether it makes sense to have people living in a tinderbox.

While it's hard to deny that it's currently a "tinderbox," I'm not sure if that's an accurate assessment in general. Yes, California is in the midst of a severe drought (blame global warming?), and combined with worse-than-usual Santa Ana winds it makes the fire danger high, but it's not like these fires are occuring in remote regions were people shouldn't be living. Some of the areas are mountainous, but these are towns/cities that are in danger, not some antisocial hermit who's living on the edge of civilization. Many of the areas could be considered fairly high-density suburbs, bounded by interstate highways. Is it any better to live near lakes, rivers, and oceans because they may occassionally flood and/or be in the path of hurricanes and tornados?

[Jim Alfredson]

I'm aghast at the news from down there.

With all the fires and droughts in the last few years are we going to have any forest left?

Forest will grow back... A better question is whether it makes sense to have people living in a tinderbox.

A tinderbox that also has floods & earthquakes. One could argue we shouldn't be rebuilding New Orleans, too. And people do.

I'm not one of them.

[Noj]

I'm down by RDK in the safe zone. I have friends who live right near the fires just north of LA, but their area is safe for now.

[Joe G]

Two cousins of mine living in San Diego, and I'm waiting to hear what's up.

[paul secor]

I'm not there, but a nephew goes to school at Pepperdine U. Seems that things there have calmed down, at least for now.

[Tim McG]

My brother sent me this from his backyard:

I'd make it larger, but this BBS has some weird issue with "dynamic images" even though it appears on my personal website.

Go figure.

Edited October 24, 2007 by GoodSpeak

[RDK]

It's weird by my house today (just east of Hollywood): the sky directly above me is blue, but in every other direction is some of the darkest smoke and haze I've ever seen here. Beautiful sunset though. -_-

[Guy Berger]

Forest will grow back... A better question is whether it makes sense to have people living in a tinderbox.

While it's hard to deny that it's currently a "tinderbox," I'm not sure if that's an accurate assessment in general. Yes, California is in the midst of a severe drought (blame global warming?), and combined with worse-than-usual Santa Ana winds it makes the fire danger high, but it's not like these fires are occuring in remote regions were people shouldn't be living. Some of the areas are mountainous, but these are towns/cities that are in danger, not some antisocial hermit who's living on the edge of civilization. Many of the areas could be considered fairly high-density suburbs, bounded by interstate highways. Is it any better to live near lakes, rivers, and oceans because they may occassionally flood and/or be in the path of hurricanes and tornados?

Well, San Diego has had two bouts of extremely destructive fires in five years.

If people wish to live in areas that are particularly prone to natural or other disasters (and I would agree that the same criticism can be directed at those who live in New Orleans, earthquake country, tornadoes, floods, droughts, whatever), they should at least foot the bill for the inevitable rescue ahead of time. Whether it's through higher taxes or mandatory insurance... I don't know.

Guy

[Free For All]

Is there any place that isn't prone to some type of natural disaster or extreme weather? Seems like every place has their "bear to cross", some more so than others, of course.

[BruceH]

I'm aghast at the news from down there.

With all the fires and droughts in the last few years are we going to have any forest left?

Forest will grow back... A better question is whether it makes sense to have people living in a tinderbox.

Guy

Actually, some WON'T be growing back, at least anytime soon. I saw a report that some recent fires have burned so unusually hot that even trees that have evolved to live with regular forest fires have been killed. Now that's depressing.

[Edward]

Is there any place that isn't prone to some type of natural disaster or extreme weather? Seems like every place has their "bear to cross", some more so than others, of course.

Exactly. In particular, most of the metropolitan areas on or near the U.S. seaboard are highly susceptible to natural disasters of one type or another.

I have lived in southern California for essentially my entire life, and I cannot recall fires as damaging as these ones now raging.

[Big Wheel]

[Dan Gould]

"Tornado Alley" also has that fault line (Madrid?) that is going to pulverize all of the brick homes in St. Louis one day and is probably more overdue than any of the other fault line areas.

[MoGrubb]

Is there any place that isn't prone to some type of natural disaster or extreme weather? Seems like every place has their "bear to cross", some more so than others, of course.

Exactly. In particular, most of the metropolitan areas on or near the U.S. seaboard are highly susceptible to natural disasters of one type or another.

I have lived in southern California for essentially my entire life, and I cannot recall fires as damaging as these ones now raging.

Anything's possible, but, I think we need to think in historical terms and include events, e.g. earthquakes, mudslides, in the past 50 years or so(?).

Edited October 24, 2007 by MoGrubb

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

So now you all know why I want to live in Namibia

MG

[Brownian Motion]

Don't worry. Shrubby's on it.

[BruceH]

Is there any place that isn't prone to some type of natural disaster or extreme weather?

Shangri-la?

[BruceH]

Frankly, I'll take nasty blizzards to anything else. I even miss 'em.

MORMONS though....!! (**Shudder**)