I am pretty sure that no matter how much water was available.. it would’ve made a very small difference.
The problem with this logic is that you’re not taking into account the early stages of a fire. That is by far the most important period. Having 40 times the amount of water available would have helped in gravity pressure and then also preventing restarts in areas that may have been controlled.
One thing for sure WE KNOW.. is that Climate Change is the biggest driver of the fires.
No we don’t. In the Camp fire, it was poorly maintained power lines and a severe and artificially accumulated fuel load. In this case there was also a huge dry fuel load. It is not unusual at all to have long periods with no rain. What is unusual in nature is the fuel load that has been dictated to be left.
Another poster mentioned fire breaks in the Chatsworth hills. My dad was with the LAFD and for a period of time was a smoke jumper. His dad was also a LAFD captain. He said what is missing from the argument is that they also used those breaks to maintain undergrowth and do controlled burns. That practice is a thing of the past pretty much since the 70s maybe early 80s.
Since that time, people have built houses in very questionable areas and also fought efforts to maintain wild lands because idiots don’t like the ugliness for a few months. It’s not about politics. I’m sure there is an abundance from both sides of the aisle.
Drought plus crazy windstorms = unstoppable fires.
Yes and no. Three months with very little rain does not equal drought in a semi-arid desert. CA just went through a very high rainfall period.
Lack of preparation and perfect conditions are both to blame. It’s fair to question what caused parts of the perfect conditions.
When the fire budgets were cut, the majority of the cuts were to prevention areas. It seems a little early for those cuts to have manifested themselves so I don’t really buy into the argument that cuts were somehow responsible. I don’t think there were many power cuts but I don’t know for sure.
That’s interesting to know. I know in the oil fields they pump brine water down the well holes.
Found this
View attachment 69273
Guess there is enough money in the oil industry they can replace at their discreción.
Yeah. I think you’re looking at completely different scenarios. They are constantly running and maintaining that equipment. With fire protection, you have to keep water waiting at the ready. I’m not going to say it can’t be done and made effective. I just have my doubts.
But.. no CA govt policy lead to a completely dry winter.. and a catastrophic wind event in the middle of winter.
No but the lack of understory maintenance certainly was a policy. The budget cuts were a policy. The decision to contract out the repair of a reservoir cover (taking over 18 months) when reportedly they always did it in house before was a policy.
I just hope they learn something from all this. But they have to look at all angles to do so. Climate, building materials, defensible spaces, understory maintenance, skid roads and the likes to get to these areas, etc.
