Southern Cali fires

[no name 1]

I have a horrible headache, not sure if it's smoke related?

Marilyn, stay inside, the air is supposed to be worse today than yesterday...it's a haze over West LA, like Robin said.

[Marilyn. 340]

where are you Marilyn? Are you out East somewhere?

We have smoke coming from the south and coming from the north - there is a huge thick cloud of it hanging over the westside.

we live in Covina.... I think it is east of LA..

the haze is over to the East of us.... i think .. I am not great with directions

Edited October 23, 2007 by MarilynP

[no name 1]

Or a dance to make the wind stop blowing, if such a thing exists

Monster fires create their own weather pattern. The wind is most likely caused by the fire itself.

Do they know what sparked the fires?

Hope everyone is safe.

One was arson, one was a spark from construction, one was a downed power line from the Santa Ana winds (a seasonal weather pattern) - the main cause of the fires.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It doesn't sound bad at all, I'm with ya on this one. Most of these people are filthy rich and they can afford a new home. I don't feel bad one bit as long as no one is hurt or dead from them.

Diana

Diana, these fires are spread out among many areas...San Diego area has been hit the hardest. Have you been to San Diego? They have more than their share of people who live on modest means...but even to those who have are above middle class income...nobody should be wishing destruction to their homes.

I realize people develop attitudes about California from television and movies, but reality is far different from what the ####### tube conveys.

....

The Facts on San Diego

In San Diego County, because of its high cost of living and preponderance of low-wage jobs, the percentage of people living in poverty outpaces poverty rates for the state and the nation as a whole. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 14.5 percent of San Diegans live below the poverty level, compared with 13.4 percent in California and 12.5 percent in the entire United States. Economic deprivation, in turn, produces a variety of community challenges, including homelessness, hunger and public health risks:

• Structural unemployment remains a major problem in San Diego, according to the California Employment Development Department, with over 58,000 San Diegans locked out of the mainstream workforce. Long-term unemployment is a contributing reason why over 400,000 adults and young people in San Diego County lack health insurance coverage.

• According to the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, there are over 10,000 homeless individuals and families living in the San Diego region. Homeless individuals have high rates of mental illness and are often impacted by multiple physical health risk factors, including hunger, exposure to the elements and vulnerability to violent assaults. They often have histories of being victims of multiple traumas such as domestic violence, childhood physical and sexual abuse and/or neglect, and broken homes.

• Each year more than 10,000 individuals are released from prison back into the San Diego community. These persons need assistance in obtaining a job and resisting negative temptations, in order to avoid recidivism and re-incarceration. Compared to the general population, released inmates experience higher rates of substance abuse, mental illness, infectious disease, unemployment and homelessness. These challenges are often experienced in conjunction with one another. The difficulties faced in tandem (e.g. substance abuse, mental illness and/or HIV infection) are particularly acute, and the associated service needs are even more complex and challenging.

• Extreme poverty in San Diego County has consequences for meeting the most basic of needs, such as whether one has enough to eat. The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research estimates there are over 61,000 persons in San Diego County who lack sufficient resources to regularly put “food on the table” and experience episodes of hunger.

Second Chance’s programs and initiatives are designed to address the workforce development needs of the “hardest to serve” segments of San Diego’s population. By assisting individuals who are committed to becoming self-sufficient, positive members of their community, Second Chance helps to prevent chronic social problems that impact our region, including homele

http://www.secondchanceprogram.org/facts.html

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

where are you Marilyn? Are you out East somewhere?

We have smoke coming from the south and coming from the north - there is a huge thick cloud of it hanging over the westside.

we live in Covina.... I think it is east of LA..

the haze is over to the East of us.... i think .. I am not great with directions

There are some bad fires out San Bernardino way - that must be where the clouds are from

[no name 1]

In San Diego County alone, 500,000+ people have been evacuated - my god.

Edited October 23, 2007 by devilette

[LoriLawless 0]

where are you Marilyn? Are you out East somewhere?

We have smoke coming from the south and coming from the north - there is a huge thick cloud of it hanging over the westside.

we live in Covina.... I think it is east of LA..

the haze is over to the East of us.... i think .. I am not great with directions

You're not too far from my sister. Take care!

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

does anyone know if they have any controlled fires in these area's to prevent massive wild fires like these? I know that they do in places like yellowstone, so that if a fire does break out, there isn't so much fuel around, and it's less likely to get out of control.

It's absolutely no consolation to the people in the middle of this now, but maybe there'll be less fires in the coming years because of this monster one.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

does anyone know if they have any controlled fires in these area's to prevent massive wild fires like these? I know that they do in places like yellowstone, so that if a fire does break out, there isn't so much fuel around, and it's less likely to get out of control.

It's absolutely no consolation to the people in the middle of this now, but maybe there'll be less fires in the coming years because of this monster one.

Yep. There'll be a lot to answer for, however, we have these nasty Santa Ana winds that kick up and then the combination of being in the middle of a 3 year drought. But for sure, if this teaches us anything...is just how vulnerable we are to natural disaster. Hope there are ways to prevent fires of this magnitude again.

Edited October 23, 2007 by Mister Fancypants

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

does anyone know if they have any controlled fires in these area's to prevent massive wild fires like these? I know that they do in places like yellowstone, so that if a fire does break out, there isn't so much fuel around, and it's less likely to get out of control.

It's absolutely no consolation to the people in the middle of this now, but maybe there'll be less fires in the coming years because of this monster one.

Enviromentalists wont allow it. To much smoke in the atmosphere that contibutes to global warming.

[Marilyn. 340]

we went to Walmart just now and when we came out our car had ash on it... and you can really smell the smoke in the air...

[sara535 15]

all of you down there take care and be safe!

I am all the way up here in the central valley and we are getting smoke even up here!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

does anyone know if they have any controlled fires in these area's to prevent massive wild fires like these? I know that they do in places like yellowstone, so that if a fire does break out, there isn't so much fuel around, and it's less likely to get out of control.

It's absolutely no consolation to the people in the middle of this now, but maybe there'll be less fires in the coming years because of this monster one.

Enviromentalists wont allow it. To much smoke in the atmosphere that contibutes to global warming.

Conservationists and real environmentalists know the importance of fires. There are many factors as to why this happened (arson being one of them), but the main ingredients were this terrible drought we're in, combined with unseasonably warm, dry air and the Santa Ana winds. Non-native vegetation come into play as well. Geologically speaking, Southern Cal. is a desert, but has been turned into an oasis from development.

....

County Fire Experts Warn Residents About Non-Native Plant Dangers

Three years after the deadly Cedar Fire, the hills of East County and the areas burned by the blaze are lush with vegetation. Even the smallest amounts of rain will turn brownish grasses green, and soon rolling hillsides look like storybooks of Ireland. But there is an underlying danger lurking within those grassy, picaresque visions of a countryside we all enjoy. Many of the grasses and other vegetation are non-native in their origin - not naturally occurring in Southern California and thus not adaptable to the threat of wildfires the way native vegetation has evolved.

The non-native vegetation will often grow back faster and thicker in the aftermath of a wildfire. This growth can lull folks into thinking that those are the hardier of plants and thus the ones best suited for the region. But according to County wildfire and vegetation specialists, it is specifically these types of plants and grasses which lead to quicker fires burning within the same area.

“The presence of weedy non-native invasive plants creates an abnormal situation that can influence wildfires,” notes Carl Bell, the University of California Regional Advisor to the County for Invasive Plants. “Invasive plants often increase the frequency of fires by providing more continuous fuels that are easier to ignite. After fires, these weedy invaders typically re-establish more rapidly than native plants, suppressing the recovery of the natives and allowing the weeds to expand their range. In addition, if fires occur too frequently, some of the native vegetation loses the ability to recover at all, effectively converting high diversity native plant communities into low diversity non-native communities.”

While catastrophic fires such as the three massive ones which burned in late October 2003 are infrequent, wildfires are an annual occurrence in San Diego County and contribute millions of dollars in damage to property and land every year. The cost in lives is of course the ultimate loss, and the County recently conducted a workshop for residents on what property owners can do to minimize the risk of wildfires destroying homes and taking lives.

http://sandiego.indymedia.org/es/2006/11/122370.shtml

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

the haze is over to the East of us.... i think .. I am not great with directions

Where the big light turns on in the mornings - that's East.

[Marilyn. 340]

the haze is over to the East of us.... i think .. I am not great with directions

Where the big light turns on in the mornings - that's East.