was it global warming, which has changed weather patterns causing parts of CA to get less rainfall in recent years making conditions more ideal for wildfires?
was it federal and state mismanagement, who, in their desire to protect endangered species, would not allow residents in some areas to clear brush and dead vegetation?
was it the forestry services insistence of stamping out any and all wildfires, allowing for an accumulation of underbrush over several years and creating conditions which allowed fires to burn hotter, longer, and larger?
or was it, as the fundies might say, really an act of god?
i say its all of the above, except the fundie one.
2007-10-24 06:46:03 · 19 answers · asked by Free Radical 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
That area of CA is crowded and people in an effort to gain a modicum of privacy will allow brush to grow close to their homes. Add to that the dry conditions and high, hot dry winds, you have a tinderbox. Someone smoking a cigarette who flicks the still lit butt out of their car window can start a conflagration.
Used to camp in So Ca. Most of the time during dry weather, there was a no fire rule. If just one person went ahead and had a fire anyway, all it takes is one spark. One spark.
2007-10-24 06:55:03 · answer #1 · answered by slykitty62 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
All of these things played a part in setting up the conditions by which a fire like this could happen. But it needed a spark. And to have so many fires over such a large are at about the same time it needed several sparks in multiple locations at about the same time. The Al Qaeda theory does have merit. They would have had to patiently wait for conditions to be right for the fires to spread, but once those conditions were right, it would be easy enough to set a string of forest fires. I'd say arson is very likely to blame for this disaster. As for who did it I really don't know. But it is an act of destruction on a pretty grand scale. Most arsonists set small fires. So this could fall into the definition of terrorism. It is worth investigating.
2007-10-24 14:01:21 · answer #2 · answered by James L 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I lived near Malibu for years. There is a funny saying:
Malibu is Chumash for: Don't Live Here
This is normal for Southern Califorina. As are the mudslides that come next. Mud slides because the trees and brush aren't there to hold the dirt in. It's a California thing. First fires then, when rain comes in winter, slides.
But the reason this is news is because it is a bad one and we couldn't control it up front. Slow to respond initially I think, although some in the news deny this.
2007-10-24 14:40:22 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Drought and the Santa Ana wind conditions are a lethal combination. California has suffered through several droughts in the past few decades.
I live in an area where fire is a huge risk. Many of us have banded together, and received grants to clear the area of undergrowth.
Don't blame the fires on libs, environmentalists, cons or bush. At this point, people just want to get back to their homes, if they're still standing.
2007-10-24 13:51:41 · answer #4 · answered by katydid 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
It was probably natural causes, but if terrorists wanted to wreck havoc they could easily start several forest fires simultaneously with minimal risk of being caught. To go even further Yesterday there was a forty car pile up on I-4. stopping traffic and creating a backup over 10 miles long. Just imagine if that were on I-95 between DC and New York.
2007-10-24 14:04:30 · answer #5 · answered by Rja 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
ETHICS -- DISGRACED FORMER FEMA DIRECTOR 'AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS' ON CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: After infamously managing the Bush administration's disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina, former FEMA director Michael Brown released a statement yesterday proclaiming that he was "available for interviews" to discuss disaster response for the California wildfires. "Mr. Brown can speak...to some of the new processes in disaster relief efforts that will help to restore California communities. ... He can offer advice to residents and businesses on proper relief and recovery efforts." As 500,000 California residents are being forced to evacuate due to the wildfires, the storm has elicited memories of Katrina. "In a particularly nervy move," Brown drew parallels between the two tragedies, stating, "Of these 500,000 people, an estimated 10,000 of them have taken shelter at the local NFL stadium, Qualcomm, vaguely reminiscent of circumstances of Hurricane Katrina evacuees two years ago." During Katrina, Brown repeatedly ignored warnings that "thousands of evacuees in New Orleans' Superdome were running out of food and water."
2007-10-24 14:07:42 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Fire prevention over decades have set the stage for this.. The U S forest service has known this for years and teach about it in training classes.. Not a surprise..
2007-10-24 13:51:09 · answer #7 · answered by Antiliber 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
George Bush
2007-10-24 14:07:19 · answer #8 · answered by Holy Cow! 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
There was a report of someone seeing a white guy start one apparently. But maybe we should focus on helping
the firefighters insteading of dividing the country by pointing fingers already.
2007-10-24 13:53:54 · answer #9 · answered by Lynn G 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
All of the above. This happens every few years in SoCal. It's just worse this year.
Santa Ana winds are to blame.
2007-10-24 13:53:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋