LA Times: Photos of California Fires & Evacuation Zones

[LowlyPion]

The LA Times has a number of pictures of the fires raging in LA area.

http://www.latimes.com/

The LA fire department website shows evacuation area.

http://lafd.blogspot.com/2008/11/lafd-sayre-fire-evacuation-zone.html

 

[Andre]

Makes me wonder about the role of wild fires in the geologic past. From soot, black carbon and ammonia records it appears that there have been periods of intense wildfires in the late Pleistocene and Holocene, likely without interference of men. Just very tough for the people being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[turbo]

Just very tough for the people being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

These people have been in the wrong place at the wrong time for many decades. If you build mansions in chaparral (which NEEDS to burn periodically to regenerate) and suppress all brush fires, eventually the scrub builds up to the point at which no firefighting efforts can be effective. It doesn't help when hot, dry winds roar up these canyons.

People who build in chaparral regions are no more responsible than people who build on dangerous flood-plains or on low islands subject to hurricanes.

 

[BobG]

I wonder how many people are devastated at the thought of their house burning down and how many are cheering, "Burn, Baby, Burn!"

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10861068?nclick_check=1

 

[mgb_phys]

My first thought was a group of cheering real estate agents.

 

[edward]

Million dollar homes burn to the ground. All that is left are swimming pools full of water.

 

[turbo]

Million dollar homes burn to the ground. All that is left are swimming pools full of water.

And when the winter rains come after all the ground-cover and roots are burned, they'll be crying about the mud-slides. What's the definition of insanity again?

 

[lisab]

I hope MiH is OK, as well as all other PFers in the LA area.

 

[CaptainQuasar]

I wish I lived in Nevada and had a giant marshmallow and a long stick.

But seriously, hopes that everyone in the LA area is okay.

⚛​

 

[turbo]

I hope MiH is OK, as well as all other PFers in the LA area.

Probably nothing to worry about, unless we have some millionaire members who can afford to live in the canyons. Oprah, Rob Lowe, et al, chime in if you're on-line here.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Thanks for the good wishes. The fires are pretty far away from me. We're getting a lot of ash in the air, though. (ack ack wheeze!)
We're having really warm weather here (in the low 90s today), and the Santa Ana winds have been blowing again. The hot dry winds are not helping the poor firefighters very much. :(

 

[pantaz]

Million dollar homes burn to the ground. All that is left are swimming pools full of water.

... and several hundred mobile homes owned by senior citizens.

 

[mgb_phys]

I think his point was that in the current property market some well insured home owners might not have done all they could to rescue the houses

Running for your life LA style

 

[hypatia]

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Christopher Lloyd says he has a "different awareness" after returning to his burned-out Montecito home.
The "Back to the Future" and "Taxi" actor told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he wouldn't rebuild the $11 million home in the celebrity enclave northwest of Los Angeles. It was among dozens of homes lost in wildfires.

"You watch TV, you see these kinds of incidents happening here and there, but you look with a kind of detachment because it's happening ... elsewhere," he said, walking through the rubble. "But suddenly to be in the midst of it, it's a very different awareness."

Lloyd said he'd been putting off organizing and storing memorabilia that he'd kept at the house.

"Kind of don't have to worry about that now," he said.

 

[Moonbear]

My first thought was a group of cheering real estate agents.

I'm ashamed to admit that the same thought came to my mind too. Lots of rich people with no houses. Just what the real estate market needs!

 

[LowlyPion]

I'm ashamed to admit that the same thought came to my mind too. Lots of rich people with no houses. Just what the real estate market needs!

An interesting question is how many that burned were under foreclosure?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I hope MiH is OK, as well as all other PFers in the LA area.

Thank you LisaB! I think the few of us around here are in the urban areas and have too much concrete and asphault between us and fires to worry that much. Though we get the ash rains that always make me want to listen to MegaDeth.

And when the winter rains come after all the ground-cover and roots are burned, they'll be crying about the mud-slides. What's the definition of insanity again?

Do you remember those nut bags a few years ago that were looking to sue anyone and everyone and get government assistence for the homes they bought that they couldn't even get insurance for?

In some cases you're just gambling your life and finances away for a pretty view.

 

[Lacy33]

Hope all PFers in the area are recovering. We have family there and watch the maps carefully. There are volunteer firefighters in our group too but have not heard from them. A couple days ago one of my former homes brunt in Yorba Linda.
This has been very scary. Fire is such a powerful force.