We need to build Fire Breaks, remove dead material

Originally Posted By Moderation

True RT, but there are wealthy Democrat suburban NIMBYs too. Selfishness is a non partisan value.

 

Originally Posted By RoadTrip

<<True RT, but there are wealthy Democrat suburban NIMBYs too. Selfishness is a non partisan value.>>

Yes, you are right about that. Especially in California there are a bunch of rich Democrats who spout off about being green and saving the planet and all that stuff and then drive their Hummer up to their estate in the mountains.

There must be a LOT of them from what I've seen. The pictures they show of burned homes aren't 2-3 thousand square foot regular homes. They are fricking mansions.

Oh well. Look what their money got them. I don't think any houses in Compton have burned down.

 

Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder

"Oh well. Look what their money got them. I don't think any houses in Compton have burned down."

Not from the recent fires, no.

 

Originally Posted By threeundertwo

One fact that isn't often mentioned is the tremendous proliferation of non-native plants. See: <a href="http://www.cnps.org/cnps/archive/exotics.php" target="_blank">http://www.cnps.org/cnps/archi
ve/exotics.php</a>

California's original chapparal flora were highly fire resistant, and their deep roots supported the water table. The grasses we see now (some introduced as much as 100 years ago) flourish briefly and then dry out, creating tinder and choking out native plants in the process.

One of the greatest criminals is not the spotted owl, but the eucalyptus. These trees can grow very tall and are generally in a constant state of "shred." If you've seen the area around a eucalyptus, you know the enormous amount of debris it drops in the form of leaves, bark and even limbs.

<a href="http://audubonmagazine.org/incite/incite0201.html" target="_blank">http://audubonmagazine.org/inc
ite/incite0201.html</a>

"Of the many eucalyptus species that evolved with fire, none is more incendiary than blue gum. "Gasoline trees," firefighters call them. Fire doesn't kill blue gums. Rather, they depend on fire to open their seedpods and clear out the competition. And they promote fire with their prolific combustible oil, copious litter, and long shreds of hanging bark designed to carry flames to the crowns. Blue gum eucalyptus doesn't just burn, it explodes, sending firebrands and seeds shooting hundreds of feet in all directions. Living next to one of these trees is like living next to a fireworks factory staffed by chain-smokers."

So while I am not disagreeing that past fire-(mis)management policies and urban sprawl are to blame, I want to add that there is another huge factor contributing to these recurring fire disasters.

i.e. blame the Aussies for sending over their eucalyptus.

 

Originally Posted By dlkozy

Not only do Eucalyptus trees explode, but they do not give upon impact. CA freeways used to be lined with these trees and then the trees were found to be dangerous upon impact. Slowly the state has been yanking them out along the freeways.

We had a close family member die from a car accidend in which he was rear ended and sent into a small cluster of remaining Euc trees. There was virtually nothing left of his car and when we stopped at the site the next day and inspected the tree, there was barely a scratch on it.

 

Originally Posted By threeundertwo

I am so sorry to hear that dlkozy. That sounds just terrible.