CA on fire

[xoxoxoBruce]

Granted the "newsies" are a pain, but an uncontrolled fire is a wildfire, isn't it? Not a forest fire because of no forest. Oh and you're causing global warming, too.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Oh and you're causing global warming, too.

Somebody get me a Hot DOG!

[zippyt]

When I was out there in the early 80's I helped a few of those out , hot nast work !!!

From Bullit (Capistrano Unified School District )
If you get to San Yun Caoistrano look up this little dinner called the SunSet dinner ( if it is still there ) WAY KILLER breakfast !!!!

[glatt]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Plus, like Wolf said, they have a bunch of stupid laws keeping them from fire-proofing the landscape in built up areas.

It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. If you clear the brush to cut down on the fires, then you don't have anything holding the dirt in place, and the mudslides are worse. If you keep the dry vegetation there, then the fires are bad. You can't win. Maybe they should build their houses in a safer location.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by zippyt

When I was out there in the early 80's I helped a few of those out , hot nast work !!!

From Bullit (Capistrano Unified School District )
If you get to San Yun Caoistrano look up this little dinner called the SunSet dinner ( if it is still there ) WAY KILLER breakfast !!!!

I think I may have been there some time ago. I used to live in Dana Point, I'm guessing you meant San Juan Capistrano.

[zippyt]

San Juan Capistrano.
San Yun Caoistrano
Damn that IS bad ain't it ???

Yeppers thats the place ,

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by glatt

It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. If you clear the brush to cut down on the fires, then you don't have anything holding the dirt in place, and the mudslides are worse. If you keep the dry vegetation there, then the fires are bad. You can't win. Maybe they should build their houses in a safer location.

If you have goats chew it down there is little to burn and the roots are still holding it together. As long as you keep the herd moving to new locations every few days to a week, you're golden.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

And if you're determined also, you can get goats' milk for cheese!

[xoxoxoBruce]

Back when Griff and BigV were bantering about goats, I read an article about a private enclave in CA that hired a farmer to bring in his goats and move them around the enclave to keep the vegetation under control. Worked like a charm, practically zero fire danger, cost nothing...... then the state said they couldn't do that. Fucking idiots.

[zippyt]

At Camp Pendelton in the early 80's they used to hire sheperds to have their herds graze in sections , it HELPED ( oh and the little lambs were TASTY !!! )

[Griff]

http://gaxed.com/pic/oij4nbv

[Griff]

http://gaxed.com/pic/dna9ziw

[TheMercenary]

Griff, great pics!

[steambender]

had goats on the neighborhood last fall, munching on the underbrush in the firebreaks. way cheaper than city crews...the people love it, but somewhere I think I read that the professionals are skeptical about actual benefits.

dunno, it seems like it would be poetic to let the local illegals, err... guest workers... manage the herds out of their tent encampments as a mutually agreeable public service.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Granted the "newsies" are a pain, but an uncontrolled fire is a wildfire, isn't it? Not a forest fire because of no forest.

As a forest ranger's son who has seen a major fire and a couple minor ones counting that time the dry grass in the back yard got lit up one windy winter day -- little problem with bad ash from the trash incinerator -- I reserve the term wildfire for blazes crowning out in treetops and prairie fires running before forty mph winds: not merely not contained, but big fires moving very fast. Such fires as make genuine firestorms. A crowned out blaze in a large grove of tall trees gets close -- and you don't want to get close.

Generally, if it's not trees, it's brush. So, brush fire. It's also quite okay to just mention what kind of terrain is being burned over.

Stylistically, I'm okay with "wild fire" as two words -- but only okay. I think there are terms available that are both more accurate and more sensible.