California Burning Basic Fire Questions?

Question

The news media is answering a lot of questions, but are there other questions we should be seeking answers to?

Is the reality here such that these fires burn every year & the news media is giving it a lot of hype because there's nothing much else going on worth coverage, like the US war with Iran, or is there something special with the current situation that makes it worse than prior year fires?

Don't these fires happen every year?

How to protect health of residents in the immediate area, due to all that smoke from burnt trees, and burnt buildings?

Buildings need swamp coolers or humidifier with an air filter that can be replaced daily because of build up of ash particles.

If you have a swimming pool, you should be considered criminally negligent if you don't have a pump to siphon water to a system which waters your house in case of fire.

How does this situation compare to Katrina, in terms of relief speed quality, and disaster predictability?

Katrina was predicted in plenty time to evacuate people whose poverty level meant they could not drive themselves out, and authorities knew the levees could only withstand a level 3 hurricane, while this one was much larger.

Likewise we have known stuff about the geography and climate of California since the early Spanish settlers. Are we incapable of applying that know-how to construct homes where they not at high risk of wipe out?

We remember Katrina stories of people with pets who were told that the people could be rescued but not the pets, so they could stay with their pets, or they could abandon them, or they could have moved out before the inevitable disaster. Do Californians have same choices?

Those standard medical masks may seem like a good idea, but some news media talking heads are saying that most are not good enough to protect against the smallest particles, while other news media talking heads are advising people to either use those masks, or put a wet towel around heads..

So where do they get masks that are good enough? Where do we get good masks to have in our first aid kits before we need them in some diaster in our area?

Is that enough for people with Asthma?

Answer 1

At least three times a year we face the "Siberian Express" in the western U.S. This is where the jet stream moves from a west to east flow to a north-south flow, bringing in cold air from the Gulf of Alaska. That wind, when it crosses the Sierra Nevada range, dries out and warms up to create a santa ana wind. If that wind is high enough in speed, it will knock down overhead power lines or blow overgrown brush and trees into those power lines. That's how a lot of the fires begin. Sometimes they begin from lightning strikes that happen without any rainfall coming in their wake.
Eventually the winds shift and being to blow the airborne pollutants inland. A lot of that ash redeposits on the ground and forms nutrients for future growth. I've lived in the West for many years, including over 25 years in Southern Nevada. Simply put, we are used to wildfires in the West. But, in recent years there's been more of a push by certain groups to restrict the ability to clear away brush, even in residential areas. And the current infestation of the bark beetle has killed a lot of conifers in the tree lines above the valleys and canyons.
I have a swimming pool. I also have hoses of sufficient length and distribution to wet down my house. But, I live in a valley. So, if a wildfire is coming my way from the hills around me, it's big enough to overwhelm me and my hoses.
The news media is giving all of this a lot of hype because that media is based in the New York City area and Washington D.C. I watched a lot of the coverage on the various cable TV news outlets and almost had to stock up on some Depends undergarments to guard against wetting myself while I was laughing so hard. Their ignorance of the western U.S. is only topped by their ignorance of the Middle East and the Salafist Jiihadists we face in this war on terror.

Answer 2

California is a unique situation, fires were set and some occur naturally. The News Media seeks out stories that IT feels are representative of the facts. Of course we all know that they provide a spin all their own to each and every story.

These fires are worse than in previous years because the conditions were perfect for this firestorm. Unfortunately, many lost homes and businesses, most, if not all, were heavily insured.
Correspondingly, in New Orleans, things were much different, not many were insured, save the business owners. The populace was not. FEMA found it difficult, as did the local government, to put a patch on it. It's still not done. Each situation was and is unique unto itself. There are no comparisons that can be made.
The fact that these disasters happen often enough that there could and should be some sort of course of action mapped out, is disheartening for the simple fact that it's ignored until it's too late. Precautions should have been taken by the local government prior to any threat.
In comparison, California seems to be much more adept at dealing with such disaster, they have seen more of it, as you pointed out.
As for the health of residents, it's a certainty that some will suffer long term effects of the smoke and ash. Not unlike the volcanic ash spewn about by the Mt. St. Helen eruption of years past. That has turned out pretty well, the ground is now producing greenery at a quickened pace. As such, so will the regions in California affected by these fires. Folks will rebuild stronger and better homes because with each disaster comes new and better thoughts about how and where to build and how to shield from the inevitable fires which will come again and again.
Life goes on, and that's the key, they still have life. All that was lost were just possessions which can be replaced, a life can not.

Answer 3

wow so many questions!! have you ever lived in california? i did for 10 years, yes we have small fires al lthe time over there, mainly the santa ana winds and the fact it's so dry over there. But this is a pretty big fire, the last this big was i believe 4 years ago. I agree with you that there should be some steps to be made to help people with this fire, but stuff like pools filtering into a sprinkler system for the house in case of fire just won't help. These fires are burning so strong that fire just kind makes them laugh! In these situations people are really just waiting for the winds to carry the fire to the ocean or for it to turn around and burn itself out. As for this verses Katrina, california people are use to these fires especially if they'v lived there for a while, most people have (or atleast should have) an evacuation plan and also a back up plan. California will be rebuilt and back to normal by Dec. guarantee it!

Answer 4

Yes, we do it every year, it's usually all spread out over August/October but this time it was everywhere and simutaneous...I'm not homeless but I wish FEMA had stayed in washington, we can take care of our own refugees, I'm suspicious of their intentions. Something really strange must be in the air, mainstream news is encouraging people NOT to wear protective masks. I wish there was a way to detect the asbestos concentration.