California Wildfires

[ProfessorChaos]

So, I'm sure that by now, all of you have seen the news reports about the fires destroying much of California. As much as I want to feel bad for the people affected by this, I can't help but wonder: why in the hell would people want to live somewhere that's a bonfire waiting to happen? I know that the weather is great out there, I attended basic training at MCRD San Diego, and went through my MCT (Marine Combat Training) at the SOI (School of Infantry) in Camp Pendleton. Every day the sun was shining, and it's always a cloudless day, ....kind of like Pleasantville. They've got scenery, nice weather, beaches, blah, blah, blah. However Utopian this may sound, it seems that every single year there's a giant wildfire, millions of dollars of property are destroyed, people are forced to evacuate their houses, firefighters die heroically doing their jobs, etc. I realize that there's always gonna be natural disasters/risks of various kinds no matter where you live (tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), but really...why would someone want to build/buy a house, fill it up with all your dream possessions, family photos, etc, only to have it face the possibility of burning to the ground each and every year? I'm really about sick of hearing about these wildfires (every year), and I'm really not that sympathetic towards the poor, unfortunate people who are "caught off guard" and affected (every year)....with the exception of the firefighters who risk their asses to attempt to save dumb people's houses for the next wildfire to destroy. My hat's off to those gents. Aside from the firefighters, paramedics, etc, who die doing their jobs, however, I can't even pretend to care about this story...Am I as big of a jerk as people tell me I am, or does anyone else see where I'm coming from?

[Danny]

its like over here with flood plains i guess, even if you know your in the middle of one, people will still buy one, i know a guy who ahs his stuff destroyed every year! from flooding when the rainy season comes around in april yet he wont move. berk.

[thxleo]

Why do people live along the coastlines where hurricanes are prone to occur? Why do people live in the midwest where tornadoes are? Why do people live in earthquake areas? Why do people live in the northeast where snow & ice storms kill people every year? Because most of them were born there. It's their home. It's a free country and you can live where you want to. BTW, instead of saying how you are sick of hearing about the fires, why not make a donation to the Salvation Army or Red Cross(I did just that thing today). Maybe that would be a better thing to do, rather than come off as a jerk(your words).

[acealive1]

i was born and raised in los angeles. its the nicest place in the world to live. no racism, tons of things to do,always somewhere to go and things are cheap. chaos,dont give in to the age old myth about california being doomed. back in 83 it was supposed to "slide off into the ocean"

[MikePizzoff]

What do you want, Prof? People to just live on the east coast and select mid-western states? Pretty much anywhere you live in the country is susceptible to natural disasters. West Coast = fires, earthquakes Desert = fires South = Hurricanes Mid-west = Tornadoes, floods Northern = Bad blizzards Hawaii = Volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, monsoons, etc. Alaska = Vampires

[Danny]

you forgot "england= triffids"

[Legion2213]

If humans built in 100% safe areas there would only be about 1 million of us on the planet...we are stuborn bastards, we find a spot to call home and we will stay there come fire, flood, war or pestilence. Edit: there was a link here to a blog from a guy who sat out the NOLA disaster in his home...he was not leaving for anything...a prime example of what I am talking about.

[Marie]

As much as I want to feel bad for the people affected by this, I can't help but wonder: why in the hell would people want to live somewhere that's a bonfire waiting to happen? If they would manage the forests and allow CONTROLLED logging there wouldn't be a fire every few years, it's the accumliated underbrush that starts the whole process. The Eco-nutcases won't let them do this, so everything burns every few years, including houses, cars and in I think two cases, people. Fires are a part of nature. They are natures way of recycling the forest and encouraging new growth, we can manage it or we can build new houses every few years. M_

[triste realtà]

Al Gore links increased frequency of wildfires to global warming.

[AcesandEights]

Al Gore links increased frequency of wildfires to global warming. Is that joke or a factual statement? If so, source?

[triste realtà]

It was in the Inconvenient Truth addendum that I saw, an extra hours worth of updates that they showed right after on HBO or Showtime.

[acealive1]

you forgot "england= triffids" England - the infected

[Danny]

Al Gore links increased frequency of wildfires to global warming. caused by not enough cullings of manbearpig.

[MissJacksonCA]

No matter where you live ****s going to happen. In California we lived through wildfires in Laguna Canyon, earthquakes that ****ed our homes foundation, mudslides that again screw the house. In Ohio it was flooding and tornadoes. In South Carolina its flooding monthly, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Manitoba you just have the power get cut off for days due to winter storms which is lovely in 60 below weather, and downed phone lines for possibly over a week to two. Also the Red River floods every single year so heaven help you if you live in the city near it or in Grand Forks, ND. In Texas its a lovely combo of flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, fires. Feck it. **** happens. My friend just became a California fireman and i'm terrified for him because he's the guy who goes in when everyone else is running for the hills. We live in a world flooded with preventative horrors. Dont drive without a seatbelt or you might die. Dont live in California or your house might burn. Dont get fat or you'll face possible heart disease or heart attacks. Feel bad for the people who get screwed because you make bad choices. Like feel for your children who are going to mourn you when you die from an overdose of coke, or feel for the fireman who has to try to save you because you refused to evacuate. Dont feelfor the people who live there. They know the risk everytime they pay the insurance on their homes.

[Danny]

see, the only reason engladn rules 1/4th of the world at one point was becasue the only trouble at home at the times were mild flooding and ruined ground floor apaulstry. "WAR - take care of your interior decorating and victory is assured"