CA on fire

[Sheldonrs]

I lived near there for a long time. The fires happen every year and I thought they were beautiful to watch. I probably would think less of them if it was my stuff burning though.
What I never understood was why would someone re-build over and over again in the same place when it keeps burning every few years?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Sheldonrs

What I never understood was why would someone re-build over and over again in the same place when it keeps burning every few years?

Insurance pays for the loss, and in a few years between fires they don't have many keepsakes accumulated.
Plus, like Wolf said, they have a bunch of stupid laws keeping them from fire-proofing the landscape in built up areas.

[steambender]

Here in San Diego, our average yearly rainfall is something like 13". Total. Most years it does not rain between say April 1st and October...dew and Fog, but no raindrops.

We're several inches behind this year, and LA is worse, things are already crispy and ready to go and the hot weather really hasn't started yet. The dry climate breeds woody scrub with a high resin content, basically made to burn. The illegals are very careful in their tent cities in the canyons, they grew up with the fire threat. It's the city folk, or bored suburban teenagers, or firebugs. Throw in hot Santa Anna desert winds at 30 mph and 10% RH and wait for the fun.

Fire breaks are required in our area, and stucco construction with concrete tile roofs. The bad fires 3 1/2 years ago got within a mile, and this is not a high risk area. I've got pics from the end of the street, 30' high walls of flame, dry eucalyptus trees exploding in flames. It was exactly then that I realized the blizzards I grew up with were a nuisance, but not life or property threatening.

[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.

[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.