Politics of Petulance (title renamed to match original post)

[Family 4,146]

Suspect Admits to Starting Fire in Los Angeles as Blazes Persist

 

man was taken into custody late Friday night after admitting he ignited a brush fire at Pioneer Park in Azusa, California, as the Los Angeles wildfires persist, local law enforcement said on Saturday.

The Context

The arrest comes as California continues to battle multiple destructive wildfires. The Pacific Palisades fire has been roaringthrough Los Angeles County, spreading throughout the region spurred by powerful Santa Ana winds. The fire was estimated to cover more than 11,802 acres and has forced at least 30,000 to leave their homes.

At least three blazes are currently active in the region as of Sunday, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire). According to the Associated Press, the death toll of the fires has reached 16, and over 12,300 structures have been destroyed according to Cal Fire, with more at risk as weather conditions persist.

 

Carranza-Escobar, who police described as a transient, admitted to setting the fire. He was then arrested on suspicion of arson and is currently being held in custody.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/suspect-admits-starting-fire-los-angeles-blazes-persist-2013681

 

Palisades Fire likely started near the remnants of a blaze believed to have been sparked by NYE fireworks: report

 

The Palisades Fire that has devastated Los Angeles and killed at least eight people may have reignited from scorch marks left by an earlier inferno that is believed to have been caused by fireworks set off on New Year’s Eve, according to a report. 

The remnants of the New Year’s Eve fire likely could’ve been reignited by strong winds — which have made the current blazes difficult to control — even six days after it was put out, the Washington Post reported.

An analysis of satellite images, radio communications, videos as well as interviews by the publication found that the deadly Palisades Fire began in the same area where firefighters had put out the previous fire — and that firefighters were slower to respond to the second blaze, which quickly became one of the most destructive in California’s history. 

Frustrated residents told The Washington Post that the response time from first responders when the Palisades Fire first started last Tuesday was much slower than it’d been on New Year’s Eve.

 

The first time around, he said that the response was swift and impressive. The second, though, was slower and hindered by the high winds, he told the outlet. 

 

When he and his wife each called the Los Angeles Fire Department 30 minutes apart last Tuesday to report the possible beginnings of the Palisades Fire, Valentine said that he had to wait because the line was busy.

 

At the time, LAFD crews were caught up responding to two other situations in other parts of the city and planned to send resources whenever they had a chance, according to WaPo. Meanwhile, a helicopter carrying water that attempted to respond early on couldn’t because of the high winds.

 

https://nypost.com/2025/01/12/us-news/palisades-fire-likely-started-near-the-remnants-of-a-blaze-believed-to-have-been-sparked-by-nye-fireworks-report/

 

Meanwhile investigators are searching for clues as to why the major fires – Palisades and Eaton – were ignited, even as Santa Ana winds are expected to pick up overnight on Sunday and through Tuesday with no rain anticipated until later in the week.

One theory gaining traction is that overhead transmission and distribution lines, rocked or brought down by the winds, may have sparked, igniting the dry vegetation below. It is routine for utilities to shut off power during “red-flag events” but the power lines were on near the Eaton and Palisades fires started on Tuesday last week.

Power lines and utility equipment have been identified as the cause of California’s 2018 Camp fire, killing 85 people and destroying the town of Paradise, the 2023 Maui fire in Hawaii and a 2021 fire in Otis, Oregon, that began when a utility pole fell and ignited a wildfire, destroying 300 homes.

 

Los Angeles department of water and power reportedly does not have a program in place to pre-emptively shut off power in urban areas when fire risk is high. Robert McCullough, a electric utility consultant, told the New York Times that the department’s shut-off plan is “woefully inadequate”.

The analyst also said that the utility’s electric grid was designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 56mph, which considered “quite low in today’s climate”. The department has said it did not cut power in advance of the fires in the city despite the wind speeds.

 

“Impacts to critical city services, including emergency response, the ability to fight fires, traffic and streetlights, as well as impacts to vulnerable people at home, are risks of widespread power outages, as are hospitals, dialysis centers and care centers,” the department explained in a statement to the outlet.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/12/newsom-marshall-plan-wildfire-theories

[Family 4,146]

 

 

 

[TBoneTX 45,891]

Interesting stories.  Remember that we have a dedicated wildfire thread, too.   

[Family 4,146]

2 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

Interesting stories.  Remember that we have a dedicated wildfire thread, too.   

Aye ! aye!…some subject matter seems to have drifted here, so took a moment to clear up our wildfire position: We Are Not Amused.

 

As for Putin , reading through the AI chat  ( instead of a stiff lipped official) translated subtitles was a good excercise to see change to the digital landscape in action. 
There are a few gems there, one being when he points out that for all the economic stressors and complaints....the Russian citizen has doubled their consumption of meat and milk..😂

Edited yesterday at 08:05 AM by Family

[Ban Hammer 13,478]