Here we go again :(

[MEANZ06]

Fire Broke out around 3 near our place...

https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article234843967.html

It's again across one of the forks (south fork) of the lake from us. Worried about my Uncle on that side. It's windy today and that was a big factor in the Camp fire... :sadangel:

[Black94lt1]

Fingers crossed that you, your uncle, and everyone remains safe

[MrPeabody]

Got one going here, too. About ten miles from my house. One structure burned, 53 acres, 50% contained. Mostly a vegetation fire in a sparsely populated area, but some evacuations. Windy here, too, but the wind is blowing away from the more heavily populated areas.

[mrvette]

I wonder about the publicity/hearing of all these fires out there more recently than some years ago......

Is it just because of increase in communications?? cphones/TV/etc?? or is there some group running around setting fires??

(islam?)

:issues:

[MrPeabody]

The fire in my area was fully contained overnight. 53 acres burned, one structure lost and no injuries to firefighters or civilians. Evacuation orders have been lifted.

To answer your question, Mrvette, no, there is no evidence that Islamic terrorists are setting any of the fires here. There has been one conviction of an arsonist, a white American male who set some fires in 2017. His sentence hearing is coming up soon. Most of the big fires here were caused by power company infrastructure that was old and not properly maintained and the vegetation around it was not properly cleared. Lightning is another common cause of wildland fires here, especially in the late summer and fall.

The fire we had yesterday appears to have started as a structure fire but no official cause yet, pending an investigation.

I've lived here for 28 years. We have fires of varying sizes every year. It is a freak event when all the conditions - high temps, high winds and low humidity combined with lots of dry fuel caused by drought years add up to a big fire getting out of control.

[mrvette]

OK, but that power line issue, I have read that the Ca. .gov won't let them cut the crap down often/well enough to put a STOP to the power line fires.....

I was noticing that in the Appalachians at my friends house, power lines and noting the tree growth is way in hell away from the lines.....

[MrPeabody]

OK, but that power line issue, I have read that the Ca. .gov won't let them cut the crap down often/well enough to put a STOP to the power line fires.....

I was noticing that in the Appalachians at my friends house, power lines and noting the tree growth is way in hell away from the lines.....

The larger issue is that power lines cross private property and that can be an impediment to access. We need and are getting legislative help in that area. Also keep in mind that most of the forest in California is federal property, not state. The other issue is just the sheer amount of power lines. Tens of thousands of miles of them, and the power company has neglected them for many years. They (and therefore we, their customers) are going to pay the price for that now.

I know a bit more than the average person about all this because the Grand Jury I sat on from 2014-16 did an extensive investigation of all this and wrote a report that won a statewide award from the California Grand Jury Association for best reporting.

One thing is certain, the firefighters will flood the ballot with initiatives to increase their funding and salaries and their already six-figure pensions. And since they are all heroes right now for doing their jobs they will win every initiative. They hit my town last year with an initiative on the ballot that will cost me about $200 a year in assessment fees.

[MrPeabody]

Well, that didn't take long. They arrested the guy who started the fire on Sunday.

http://www.lakeconews.com/index.php/news/62554-authorities-arrest-kelseyville-man-for-causing-oak-fire

[Rodnok1]

So they don't keep the vegetation cut back in CA from the power lines? They've taken an aggressive approach here since the late 90s(mainly for storm damage) and now Duke Energy is wanting us to pay for "improvements" even with billions in profits last year.
Do the property owners have the right to deny access or something in CA?

Glad they charged the guy who started that fire....

[MrPeabody]

So they don't keep the vegetation cut back in CA from the power lines? They've taken an aggressive approach here since the late 90s(mainly for storm damage) and now Duke Energy is wanting us to pay for "improvements" even with billions in profits last year.
Do the property owners have the right to deny access or something in CA?

Glad they charged the guy who started that fire....

California maintains a network of convict firefighting facilities. During the winter when there aren't hardly any fires to fight, they do tree trimming, brush clearing and other fire suppression work. Private property owners do have the right to not allow convicts on their property, which on some level, I guess, is understandable. But they are working on legislation that would change that, at least under some circumstances.

These convicts who do this work can only qualify for the program if they have not committed certain crimes, such as violent crimes, sex crimes, etc. For the most part they are low level drug offenders or thieves, things like that. If they screw up once, they go back to the regular prison. They undergo extensive training and many of them go on to have careers as firefighters. They live in pretty nice conditions, eat very well and frankly work their asses off. One of their facilities is in our county and they are always among the first to arrive on the scene of any wildland fire.

[mrvette]

California maintains a network of convict firefighting facilities. During the winter when there aren't hardly any fires to fight, they do tree trimming, brush clearing and other fire suppression work. Private property owners do have the right to not allow convicts on their property, which on some level, I guess, is understandable. But they are working on legislation that would change that, at least under some circumstances.

These convicts who do this work can only qualify for the program if they have not committed certain crimes, such as violent crimes, sex crimes, etc. For the most part they are low level drug offenders or thieves, things like that. If they screw up once, they go back to the regular prison. They undergo extensive training and many of them go on to have careers as firefighters. They live in pretty nice conditions, eat very well and frankly work their asses off. One of their facilities is in our county and they are always among the first to arrive on the scene of any wildland fire.



Seems like a decent program.....if to save only 1/2 the inmates, at least THEY are productive......

[MrPeabody]

Seems like a decent program.....if to save only 1/2 the inmates, at least THEY are productive......

The camp in our county also has a shop for maintaining all the vehicles they use. This provides vocational training to those who may be older or otherwise not physically capable of fighting fires. They learn how to be diesel mechanics.

In general, California has been weak in the idea of convicts doing work outside the prison. The reason is, if they work on the roads, for instance, all the unions who do that work raise hell. This program is the exception.

[mrvette]

The camp in our county also has a shop for maintaining all the vehicles they use. This provides vocational training to those who may be older or otherwise not physically capable of fighting fires. They learn how to be diesel mechanics.

In general, California has been weak in the idea of convicts doing work outside the prison. The reason is, if they work on the roads, for instance, all the unions who do that work raise hell. This program is the exception.



Gee, wonder WHY???:lol::issues:

[tjfontaine]

I just HATE seeing those fires around you folks like that ... I can't imagine what it would be like. Crossing my fingers they all get under control ASAP

[MrPeabody]

I just HATE seeing those fires around you folks like that ... I can't imagine what it would be like. Crossing my fingers they all get under control ASAP

So far so good this summer. We do have some damn good firefighters here. And well equipped, too. Communities of 5K or less people have millions of dollars worth of fire equipment and facilities. The firefighters are obscenely well paid but I guess they earn every penny of it.

Sometimes I tell my wife if we get evacuated one more time I'm moving to the middle of the desert and living in a tent.:leaving: