California Wildfires 2018

[mickey2942]

Only read this story if you need a good cry. With all of the terrible things going on, stories like this one show that when the chips are down, we really can come together and help one another.

A garbage truck driver picked up an elderly disabled woman, and took her home, she is staying with them until she can go back to her home, which fortunately did not burn down, but there is no power or utilities available.
https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/17/us/camp-fire-garbageman/index.html?r=https://www.cnn.com/

 

[Lilibet]

Only read this story if you need a good cry. With all of the terrible things going on, stories like this one show that when the chips are down, we really can come together and help one another.

A garbage truck driver picked up an elderly disabled woman, and took her home, she is staying with them until she can go back to her home, which fortunately did not burn down, but there is no power or utilities available.
https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/17/us/camp-fire-garbageman/index.html?r=https://www.cnn.com/

Yes, this one really got to me! This is such a loving thing to do. Wow!

 

[pandamonium]

News story regarding my uncle, pictured with my dad as well--he's the brother in CA they refer to that he went to visit and also lost everything:
Missouri man's home burns in California fires

 

[pandamonium]

and a news story regarding my dad . . word is getting out as more survivors tell their stories:

Home Page

 

[gregjrichards]

What is the latest info on fire containment and people missing? The tragedy is not being shown on the news here anymore as if it’s over which it is not.

I was shocked to learn that insurance companies sent private fire fighters to save mansions whilst normal people’s homes burned to the ground to try and avoid payouts.

 

[tarabull]

Albertans raising money, supplies for horses affected by California wildfire

 

[mickey2942]

What is the latest info on fire containment and people missing? The tragedy is not being shown on the news here anymore as if it’s over which it is not.

I was shocked to learn that insurance companies sent private fire fighters to save mansions whilst normal people’s homes burned to the ground to try and avoid payouts.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nb...ct-Homes-in-Woolsey-Fire-500741951.html?amp=y

Actually, that is quite common, one of the companies is from Montana. Normally they are primarily used to save businesses and community structures, like schools, things people need to continue in a community. And yes, if you paid enough money for that coverage and service, to protect homes.

People who nickel and dime on insurance coverage can really see being pennywise and pound foolish.

 

[kaen]

People who nickel and dime on insurance coverage can really see being pennywise and pound foolish.

I don't think most people nickel and dime their coverage. The truth is that if you don't own a property worth multi-millions of dollars, you can't get coverage that will insure that a team will come to your home. With the wealth disparity increasing in our country, I feel certain that we will continue to see issues like this rise in occurrence across many fields where services are tailored to the uber rich. What is most sad to me is that these fire fighters may have been able to save lives rather than structures. I get that this is about insurance companies not having to pay out to the insured who have homes with high value. But, with almost a 1000 people missing in another part of CA, it is a bit grotesque that some may have a home while families have been wiped off the face of the earth...

 

[gregjrichards]

I don't think most people nickel and dime their coverage. The truth is that if you don't own a property worth multi-millions of dollars, you can't get coverage that will insure that a team will come to your home. With the wealth disparity increasing in our country, I feel certain that we will continue to see issues like this rise in occurrence across many fields where services are tailored to the uber rich. What is most sad to me is that these fire fighters may have been able to save lives rather than structures. I get that this is about insurance companies not having to pay out to the insured who have homes with high value. But, with almost a 1000 people missing in another part of CA, it is a bit grotesque that some may have a home while families have been wiped off the face of the earth...

I feel the same way.

 

[K_Z]

A tremendous tragedy, that is still unfolding.

Lots of misinformation floating around as to private fire fighting companies, and how they are used by insurance companies, AND the federal and state governments.

It's no "accident" that the Kanye West family was "chosen" to be highlighted as selfish, wealthy entitled homeowners in misleading articles, IMO. ANYONE that owns a high value property is REQUIRED to accept these services as a condition of being insured. That means EVERY celebrity and wealthy homeowner, regardless of their political leanings.

Private firefighting

Kim Kardashian and the Rise of Private Firefighting - The Atlantic

This is a quite interesting discussion of some of the hows and whys of the catastrophic scale of the CA fires. Humans, and their environmental policies for forestry management (state, federal, and private regulations) have contributed tremendously to the circumstances that have created these fires. Activist and bureaucratic policies have created the conditions that produced these fires.

How Misguided Environmentalism Is To Blame For California’s Wildfires

https://thefederalist.com/2018/11/16/misguided-environmentalism-blame-californias-wildfires/

Ironically, these ill-conceived environmental policies designed to ward off climate change have been the source of massive amounts of carbon dioxide pollution. A forest fire’s initial blaze releases 5.2. million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to Forest Service ecologist Leland Tarnay. This is equivalent to the amount of emissions from 1.1 million passenger cars in a year.

According to a Reason Foundation study, another flaw in forest management is a systematic reduction in timber removal. This began in 1990 when the spotted owl was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In response, the Forest Service placed restrictions on timber harvests. Additionally, President Bill Clinton introduced a rule that restricted the construction of new roads on 49 million acres of national forest. This limited the ability of the Forest Service from thinning trees. In 1993, 1,797,574 acres of wildlands burned, but in 2017 this number jumped to 10,026,086 acres.

 

[kaen]

A tremendous tragedy, that is still unfolding.

Lots of misinformation floating around as to private fire fighting companies, and how they are used by insurance companies, AND the federal and state governments.

It's no "accident" that the Kanye West family was "chosen" to be highlighted as selfish, wealthy entitled homeowners in misleading articles, IMO. ANYONE that owns a high value property is REQUIRED to accept these services as a condition of being insured. That means EVERY celebrity and wealthy homeowner, regardless of their political leanings.

Private firefighting

Kim Kardashian and the Rise of Private Firefighting - The Atlantic

This is a quite interesting discussion of some of the hows and whys of the catastrophic scale of the CA fires. Humans, and their environmental policies for forestry management (state, federal, and private regulations) have contributed tremendously to the circumstances that have created these fires. Activist and bureaucratic policies have created the conditions that produced these fires.

How Misguided Environmentalism Is To Blame For California’s Wildfires

https://thefederalist.com/2018/11/16/misguided-environmentalism-blame-californias-wildfires/

Not sure where you are going here. I am not sure that people implied that this was political. It is so clearly wealth based and insurance company based. I also think to talk about actvist and bureaucratic (implying political leaning) is ill-timed and will turn this into a political thread. I hope this can be avoided. .

 

[K_Z]

Here's another perspective on the private fire fighters.

There is no "double dipping." If private fire fighters are defending high value structures, that FREES the publicly funded fire fighters to defend PUBLIC buildings, densely populated areas, and engage in rescue operations.

When there is vicious criticism of the many hardworking and ethical private firefighters (most of the forestry fighters are PRIVATE contracted units), it makes me think the criticizers somehow want "all" properties to burn equally. As if, any properties or people rescued by private units "should" burn to the ground, or rescuees "should" die, so that everyone is dead and burned equally.

Accidents, catastrophes, and tragedies are not egalitarian. Never have been, never will be.

ANY extra firefighters are tremendously valuable.

I truly can't understand why that isn't a universally common perception.

But I do understand the drive to villainize those with more resources. SMH.

Think of it this way. High value insured pay TWICE-- they *still* pay a hefty percentage of their income for public fire fighters, but they *also* pay for private insurance-mandated coverage.

Similar to those who choose to send their kids to private schools. They still pay for the public schools in their district, but they also pay for private school tuition.

More choice, more services, are better for EVERYONE. And if the government doesn't have to pay for "more", then that is better for everyone, too.

Note that private fire units pay their own training, equipment, transportation, and site maintenance costs. And federal, state, and local contracting of private units is on the rise, hugely. Private units can do some things far better and cheaper than government funded and regulated companies.

More is better when it comes to emergency services, IMO.

 

[Lilibet]

Ummm...moving right along, getting back to those who are suffering...

We haven’t heard directly from my husband’s cousin (Camp Fire) in a week, but have heard through other family that he and his wife were able to rent a house in Chico. They are certainly among the fortunate to have found something. We are trying to find out what they need in order to start over and how to get it to them.

 

[gregjrichards]

Ummm...moving right along, getting back to those who are suffering...

We haven’t heard directly from my husband’s cousin (Camp Fire) in a week, but have heard through other family that he and his wife were able to rent a house in Chico. They are certainly among the fortunate to have found something. We are trying to find out what they need in order to start over and how to get it to them.

I sincerely apologise I did not mean to derail the discussion.

 

[Lilibet]

I sincerely apologise I did not mean to derail the discussion.

It wasn’t you. There was nothing derailing about what wrote.

 

[margarita25]

Relentless California wildfires leave 80 dead, almost 1,000 missing
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Why are so many missing in California fires?
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Fireproof shelters, strict zoning rules and buyouts: Bold ideas to prevent another deadly California fire
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Searchers in California wildfire step up efforts; 77 dead
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California fires: Crews boost containment in deadly wildfires
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California fire: What started as a tiny brush fire became the state’s deadliest wildfire. Here’s how
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California fires: How authorities search for the missing
https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/18/us...e-search/index.html?r=https://www.google.com/
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California fires: Could nearly 1,000 people really have died in the blaze? Staggering number of missing haunts Paradise
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Charvel Guitar Workshop Destroyed in California Fire
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How do wildfires start? All it takes is a spark

“It was also very hot: "The entire state was above average with the Sierra Nevada region (the Camp Fire location) having the warmest summer on record," Swain said.”
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Metallica Donate $100,000 to California Wildfire Relief Efforts – Rolling Stone
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California wildfires: Nearly 1,000 unaccounted for in Camp Fire — live updates

“The death toll from the Camp Fire in Northern California increased by one Sunday to 77, while the number of people unaccounted for has decreased to 993 people. The blaze was two-thirds contained as of Sunday night after consuming some 150,000 acres.

In Southern California, just outside Los Angeles, the Woolsey Fire was 91 percent contained after burning 96,949 acres and killing three people.”
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“(CNN) — While hundreds of families wait in agony to learn the fate of missing loved ones, officials gave a gut-wrenching forecast on the fate of California's Camp Fire:
It's not even halfway done burning yet.”

The catastrophic Camp Fire isn't even halfway done burning, officials predict
https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/18/us/california-fires-week-two/index.html?r=https://www.google.com/
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'Bus driver from heaven' rescued young children from California wildfire
https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/18/us/wildfire-school-bus-rescue/index.html?r=https://www.google.com/
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Current Fire Information
CAL FIRE Mobile

 

[Hraefn]

WATCH: Emotional Reunion Between Cat And Owner Separated During Camp Fire

 

[KALI]

I was talking to mythe neighbors daughter yesterday. She lives in Chico. She is visiting through Thanksgiving. She said that it is horrid up there with the smoke. She said that the sun is blotted out due to the smoke. She said that EVERYONE is wearing face masks.

“Officials warned of increased fire danger this weekend: a red-flag warning has been issued for Saturday night to Sunday afternoon — due to expected strong wind gusts that could worsen the fire. Wind speeds are expected to be 45 to 55 mph.

But there is relief in sight: Next week on Wednesday and Thursday, rain is expected, which would greatly help firefighters get an upper hand.“

Camp Fire: Death toll grows to 71, missing list grows to 1,011

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More than 1,000 people unaccounted for in California wildfires

“Firefighters gained ground against the two deadly California wildfires on Friday but residents in northern parts of the state faced a new threat: the dirtiest air quality levels in the world.

Rain could help knock down the flames Tuesday evening but officials said it could also complicate efforts to find human remains. In some cases, search crews were finding little more than bones and bone fragments.“

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California throws lifeline to PG&E over potential Camp Fire liability

“No cause has been determined, but speculation has centered on PG&E, which reported an outage around the time and place the fire ignited. The death toll from the so-called Camp Fire has risen to at least 63, with hundreds of people still unaccounted for. California state investigators in June faulted PG&E-owned power lines for sparking a dozen blazes in Northern California in the fall of 2017 that killed 46 and incinerated nearly 9,000 homes and other structures.”

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List of unaccounted for people after Camp Fire swells to more than 1,000

https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/16/us/california-fires/index.html?r=https://www.google.com/

“The sheriff said the list will fluctuate in number because it is raw data that needs to be refined.
The death toll is now 71 after eight sets of remains were found Friday, Honea said.”

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“SAN FRANCISCO — While the shocking death toll and images of destruction from the Camp Fire in Northern California have dominated headlines, its thick blanket of unhealthy smoke has paralyzed communities across a large swath of the state, creating a public health crisis for millions of residents spread out over hundreds of miles.“

Far from California fires, smoke shuts schools and idles cable cars

 

[mickey2942]

WATCH: Emotional Reunion Between Cat And Owner Separated During Camp Fire

It is interesting, how animals react in these situations. Our cat was saved by firefighters from our home, he literally jumped into their arms, and clung to a firefighter like a little spider monkey. The fire crew had a small oxygen mask, and gave him oxygen. He didn't run away, or hide, he wanted to be rescued!

 

[Satchie]

It is interesting, how animals react in these situations. Our cat was saved by firefighters from our home, he literally jumped into their arms, and clung to a firefighter like a little spider monkey. The fire crew had a small oxygen mask, and gave him oxygen. He didn't run away, or hide, he wanted to be rescued!

Lucky kitty, and a trusting one.