Fires, LA Ca. Stay Safe

[7sins]

Client sent me this last night as they were landing into LAX. Complete armageddon.

Very grateful the Sunset fire has been contained as that was quite close to me, a bunch of you PM'd me and I can't say thank you enough for your words of encouragement and support, means a lot.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Blansky

You know the saying..."they aren't making any more land"...and the land in beautiful places will always be grabbed up by someone.

Fires, and soon enough expect flooding since now the trees and plants are gone. Who would insure it?

Hope smart heads prevail, use this as a great opportunity for modernization while balancing the type of environmental impact that the Hollywood culture types support. Surely a few Stars have the funds to give, plus they can freely donate their land / performances / time for the betterment of their local community and fellow neighbors in need. That is what makes America great.

PS: A nice effort would be for Paris Hilton to provide free hotel rooms for those gravely affected. There are people that need a place to live asap, and Hilton can help.

[Krash]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Hope smart heads prevail

Yeah, that’s not going to happen. No smart heads are going to prevail. lol


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[pickettt]

Originally Posted by Blansky

In some, actually almost ALL the fires in California were started by the wind, and poor maintenance by P&E and the other power companies.

They haven't ascertained what caused the fires in LA yet.

In the history of all forest fires, we'd never heard this except in recent years...and...we're gonna have to shut off your power too.

[pickettt]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

To be fair, this is a great opportunity to take all the property and build a modern city like we see in Asia and the Middle East. Bring the power lines underground, new water / sewer, etc. America could use a modern city like Saudi Arabia is doing.

Create the problem, sell the solution.

[Krash]

Originally Posted by pickettt

In the history of all forest fires, we'd never heard this except in recent years...and...we're gonna have to shut off your power too.

Exactly.

These folks are the highest taxed people in the country. You would expect the city or state to clear all the under brush and have control burns on a regular basis with all the tax dollars they collect. They should have water blasting from the hydrants, too. But they don’t.

Seventy years ago, maybe more, it was well understood you need to remove under brush and have control burns to prevent wild fires from spreading.


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[77T]

In the spirit of Rich's original post, I wish all our members are granted safety from the conflagration. There isn't much information about the historical trend of greater top wind speeds of Santa Ana winds, but there's a confluence of shorter-length rainy seasons in SoCal, warmer dry season temps., and more urbanization in once unbuilt canyons and ridgelines that adds water demand for those regions.

My thoughts turn to what will be - I grew up in a southern coastal city. When my dad designed our house, and hired a builder, it was a CBS-walled, cement-tiled, hip roofed home that still stands 75 years later. Only 1 roof tile was broken in that time by a coconut flung onto it during a hurricane. A dozen hurricanes never harmed it beyond that.

My point is he built a hurricane/fire resistant home. What I hope is that the homes which replace those lost in the fires are built in a similar fashion by the new owners. Not as much "charm" is such a design, but more resilient from fire. The challenge is to also make them earthquake survivable. (Something we didn't have to worry about on the East Coast)

The charred thousands of acres look like a nuclear blast zone - terrible. This could become a factor in future assemblages of higher density residential development. This is already happening in some of the recent hurricane-ravaged barrier islands in Florida.


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[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by pickettt

Create the problem, sell the solution.

No no, not at all. Look, we all VERY MUCH feel bad for what happened. It is a tragedy as we see with wars, Florida hurricanes, and other global events.

This is Hollywood's time to shine. They can grab the proverbial Brass Ring.

We know California Hollywood folks have been all about community and helping those South of the USA, supporting the homeless, etc. This is Hollywood's finest hour (if they choose it to be). Group together and create a city that welcomes all, paid for by their generous donations of land, finances, and of course time (benefit concerts, etc). They can bring SoCal back with common sense planning, and with an eye on land preservation, clean air, clean water, clean power, and of course reduce /eliminate the effects of fires / flooding too.

It is deeeeeply saddening what has happened, this we can all agree. In the aftermath, Hollywood should not just talk the talk, they can now show the world they can join together and build back better than before. Many of us know and see what is possible in Singapore, Saudia Arabia, Dubai, China, etc, so let us give SoCal a chance to make America great too. :thumbs-up:

PS: In the meantime, those SoCal Stars with homes still standing and have extra room(s) in their mansions should open their doors to fellow Americans during this time of deep trouble. Hollywood should stop all filming and help build temporary shelters for their community, provide food for those now homeless who desperately need it, etc. jmho as Hollywood now has the opportunity to show the world....

[Krash]

The Pacific Palisades isn’t an area that was recently was developed. It’s been largely developed for a while. So, it’s not as if people have just suddenly moved there to create this problem.


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[BraveBold]

I assume reference to China and Saudi Arabia, both experiencing massive failures due to shoddy urban and other planning choices, is tongue-in-cheek…

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

No no, not at all. Look, we all VERY MUCH feel bad for what happened. It is a tragedy as we see with wars, Florida hurricanes, and other global events.

This is Hollywood's time to shine. They can grab the proverbial Brass Ring.

We know California Hollywood folks have been all about community and helping those South of the USA, supporting the homeless, etc. This is Hollywood's finest hour (if they choose it to be). Group together and create a city that welcomes all, paid for by their generous donations of land, finances, and of course time (benefit concerts, etc). They can bring SoCal back with common sense planning, and with an eye on land preservation, clean air, clean water, clean power, and of course reduce /eliminate the effects of fires / flooding too.

It is deeeeeply saddening what has happened, this we can all agree. In the aftermath, Hollywood should not just talk the talk, they can now show the world they can join together and build back better than before. Many of us know and see what is possible in Singapore, Saudia Arabia, Dubai, China, etc, so let us give SoCal a chance to make America great too. :thumbs-up:

PS: In the meantime, those SoCal Stars with homes still standing and have extra room(s) in their mansions should open their doors to fellow Americans during this time of deep trouble. Hollywood should stop all filming and help build temporary shelters for their community, provide food for those now homeless who desperately need it, etc. jmho as Hollywood now has the opportunity to show the world....

[BraveBold]

There are still raging fires and people in their paths. My best wishes to all at risk.

[brandrea]

Let’s try to focus on the folks who are affected by this terrible event.

Thoughts and prayers to everyone in So. Cal.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by BraveBold

I assume reference to China and Saudi Arabia, both experiencing massive failures due to shoddy urban and other planning choices, is tongue-in-cheek…

There are successes too. But ok.... is Singapore ok as a success in your eyes, I'm ok with just them as an example. My point being we need smart planners.

Anywho, am sure we can agree first is that these newly homeless need food and water. And yes, many will desire living within a structured area that also provides waste management. Look at recent world events and understand how the sudden movement / migration of people due to razed homes was handled. These are the early stages, and imho let's work the solution instead of crying over spilt milk. We can cry later, yes as this is a horrible situation, yet let's get them sorted.

Hopefully this newly cleared land is smartly rebuilt considering the many factors of concern. But that's something that will take years to accomplish.

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

There are successes too. But ok.... is Singapore ok as a success in your eyes, I'm ok with just them as an example. My point being we need smart planners.

Anywho, am sure we can agree first is that these newly homeless need food and water. And yes, many will desire living within a structured area that also provides waste management. Look at recent world events and understand how the sudden movement / migration of people due to razed homes was handled. These are the early stages, and imho let's work the solution instead of crying over spilt milk. We can cry later, yes as this is a horrible situation, yet let's get them sorted.

Hopefully this newly cleared land is smartly rebuilt considering the many factors of concern. But that's something that will take years to accomplish.

A lot of lessons can be learned from the Maui fires recovery. The city will need to begin implementing a housing plan now to get people situated before an army of construction workers lands in the area.

[BraveBold]

There is always value from learning. Both positive and negative lessons.

Also, there is value today in laying off the blame games that are often soaked in shoddy data and politics (those two seem to go hand-in-hand far too often).

The urgent need now is the best response possible given current circumstances. This is a natural event and a risk - with family in that area my wife and I have discussed buying property. Fire risk has always been top-of-mind and one of the leading reasons to not move forward. Similar to hurricane risks in large (and growing) swaths of Florida. Well, that and other things lol.

I wish the best for everyone and the scale of this is incredible - so really hope it is further contained and the focus can turn to rebuilding. Lives and properties…

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Maleg

A lot of lessons can be learned from the Maui fires recovery. The city will need to begin implementing a housing plan now to get people situated before an army of construction workers lands in the area.

I doubt ANYTHING can be learned from the Maui fires. It’s taken a year just to clear the hazardous waste. Maui is a relatively poor island, where the millions/billions earned from tourism goes mainly to the offshore corporations that control the tourism industry.

In Santa Rosa California after the Tubbs fire in 2017 is what will happen in LA. Insurance will pay out, homes will be rebuilt in the same way with some code updating and in 5-10 years you will never know this happened.

In fact rich people will often buy up adjoining lots to build bigger homes. Some people will leave, but others will fill the void. The construction industry will boom just like it did in Santa Rosa.

Occasionally there have been fires before in LA, but Pacific Palisades has been there for generations as has Malibu, Pasadena, etc etc but this firestorm is different.

Climate change is causing weather we can’t deal with or prepare for, as people in Florida, and other states can attest to.

We are entering the new normal of weather disasters worldwide and we can pretend it’s not happening or we can do something about it. But pretending we didn’t cut down enough trees or brush is the cause is like pretending that Florida didn’t build high enough walls to stop hurricanes.

We’re all in this together.

[ButtButt]

I grew up in the LA/OC area so this really sucks to see. A lot of my friends from high school/college are affected and I just can't imagine losing my home. Stay safe out there people.

[Krash]

Originally Posted by ButtButt

I grew up in the LA/OC area so this really sucks to see. A lot of my friends from high school/college are affected and I just can't imagine losing my home. Stay safe out there people.

I was just watching a guy being interviewed on TV. They lost everything. They just bought tooth brushes. He said that’s the only possession they have now. Quite a staggering interview. I’m sure it’s a nightmare for kids.


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[MrGoat]

Originally Posted by Krash

I was just watching a guy being interviewed on TV. They lost everything. They just bought tooth brushes. They said that’s the only possession they have now. Quite a staggering interview. I’m sure it’s a nightmare for kids.


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I have no words. Heartbreaking doesn’t seem to completely convey my emotions for that family and all that are affected by this.


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[Maleg]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I doubt ANYTHING can be learned from the Maui fires. It’s taken a year just to clear the hazardous waste. Maui is a relatively poor island, where the millions/billions earned from tourism goes mainly to the offshore corporations that control the tourism industry.

In Santa Rosa California after the Tubbs fire in 2017 is what will happen in LA. Insurance will pay out, homes will be rebuilt in the same way with some code updating and in 5-10 years you will never know this happened.

In fact rich people will often buy up adjoining lots to build bigger homes. Some people will leave, but others will fill the void. The construction industry will boom just like it did in Santa Rosa.

Occasionally there have been fires before in LA, but Pacific Palisades has been there for generations as has Malibu, Pasadena, etc etc but this firestorm is different.

Climate change is causing weather we can’t deal with or prepare for, as people in Florida, and other states can attest to.

We are entering the new normal of weather disasters worldwide and we can pretend it’s not happening or we can do something about it. But pretending we didn’t cut down enough trees or brush is the cause is like pretending that Florida didn’t build high enough walls to stop hurricanes.

We’re all in this together.

Leave your climate change politics for your local pub discussions. LA was a desert before people moved there hundreds of years ago and it's still a desert. Deserts are dry. This one is warm and dry. Places that are warm and dry tend to catch fire.

My first business included range management services. Catastrophic fires are preventable with proper management. Fires like this aren't going to be prevented by switching to EV's or banning gas appliances. They are prevented by eliminating fuel and building fire resistant communities.

[briboxer]

My heart goes out to all in the effected areas.

Being South in OC, just hearing that you need to evacuate your home starts your head spinning with questions, doubts, and worries.

I cannot begin to imagine the fears brought by seeing this catastrophe develop.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Maleg

Leave your climate change politics for your local pub discussions. LA was a desert before people moved there hundreds of years ago and it's still a desert. Deserts are dry. This one is warm and dry. Places that are warm and dry tend to catch fire.

My first business included range management services. Catastrophic fires are preventable with proper management. Fires like this aren't going to be prevented by switching to EV's or banning gas appliances. They are prevented by eliminating fuel and building fire resistant communities.

The climate of California:

The climate of California varies widely from hot desert to alpine tundra, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the Pacific Coast. California's coastal regions, the Sierra Nevada foothills, and much of the Central Valley have a Mediterranean climate, with warmer, drier weather in summer and cooler, wetter weather in winter. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating warmer winters and substantially cooler summers in coastal areas.

Along the coastal areas we have a marine layer (coastal fog) for about 5 months of the year. Sometimes it burns off by 10AM, sometimes by noon and sometimes it doesn't burn off at all. Which is why the coastal areas are not all that dry during the year. The Santa Ana winds blowing in from the inland are what creates the problems and the dry conditions. There are years where there is very little rain and years where there is a lot of rain, but a firestorms like this is obviously very rare. Hence the damage.


As in the recent Florida disasters humans build and create spaces to live in according to the environment at the time. Florida gets creamed every few years and will continue to. So maybe you should be looking closer to home for your solutions on extreme climate.

Will Rogers, the most popular Hollywood actor in the 1920 built a house/ranch in Pacific Palisades in 1928 and it has been there since, almost 100 years. Never burned down.

In recent years as the fires in LA have become worse there has been a concerted effort to trim down the hills and clear space around houses. BUT people like living in forests, wooded areas, places with trees and foliage.

The energy companies have upped their game finally to clear trees and brush from power lines since almost all the recent fires were caused by them. So now they generally just shut off the power when it gets windy.

The lack of water for the fire hoses in Altadena was because when the system was designed it was for the firefighters to have enough water pressure to fight large buildings and blocks if they caught fire. They were not designed to run for hours to fight a firestorm. I'm sure now they'll change that.

[INC]

Originally Posted by Blansky

Will Rogers, the most popular Hollywood actor in the 1920 built a house/ranch in Pacific Palisades in 1928 and it has been there since, almost 100 years. Never burned down.

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...el-burned-down

[SDGT3]

Originally Posted by Blansky

The climate of California:

The climate of California varies widely from hot desert to alpine tundra, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the Pacific Coast. California's coastal regions, the Sierra Nevada foothills, and much of the Central Valley have a Mediterranean climate, with warmer, drier weather in summer and cooler, wetter weather in winter. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating warmer winters and substantially cooler summers in coastal areas.

Along the coastal areas we have a marine layer (coastal fog) for about 5 months of the year. Sometimes it burns off by 10AM, sometimes by noon and sometimes it doesn't burn off at all. Which is why the coastal areas are not all that dry during the year. The Santa Ana winds blowing in from the inland are what creates the problems and the dry conditions. There are years where there is very little rain and years where there is a lot of rain, but a firestorms like this is obviously very rare. Hence the damage.


As in the recent Florida disasters humans build and create spaces to live in according to the environment at the time. Florida gets creamed every few years and will continue to. So maybe you should be looking closer to home for your solutions on extreme climate.

Will Rogers, the most popular Hollywood actor in the 1920 built a house/ranch in Pacific Palisades in 1928 and it has been there since, almost 100 years. Never burned down.

In recent years as the fires in LA have become worse there has been a concerted effort to trim down the hills and clear space around houses. BUT people like living in forests, wooded areas, places with trees and foliage.

The energy companies have upped their game finally to clear trees and brush from power lines since almost all the recent fires were caused by them. So now they generally just shut off the power when it gets windy.

The lack of water for the fire hoses in Altadena was because when the system was designed it was for the firefighters to have enough water pressure to fight large buildings and blocks if they caught fire. They were not designed to run for hours to fight a firestorm. I'm sure now they'll change that.

Having lived in Socal all my life and been evacuated twice in my lifetime, I'm fairly confident some of the things you've mentioned are not accurate. It's difficult for someone in New Jersey (not to say your from NJ, just an example) to comprehend the type of topography we have here in CA. Many non natives cannot phantom how a house on the beach in Malibu can burn because they simply don't understand the canyons and venturi effect of Santa Ana winds moving west from the hills to the ocean. It happens every year, several times a year since the beginning of time, but this time was just different. Air support with retardant couldn't help this time either. It's tragic, but I'm not sure it can be characterized as a climate change event.

CA has a law that homeowners are required to clear at least 100' of defensible space around their homes. In the past, this may have been overlooked, however with the insurance companies pulling out of this market and the ability to use satellite images to see if there is defensive space, pending insurance renewal, it's been adhered to quite religiously.

PG&E has been a source of fires from downed power lines, especially in Northern CA, but not the case in Socal. There's already been reports of arrests of people who have been suspected of starting these fires - the number and location to be determined.

It's important to point out that something as large and tragic as this is almost always politicized in some fashion on either side. However, when looking at the facts and numbers, the LAFD budget wasn't cut dramatically, only 2%. At the same time, LAPD budget increased $126m. The water pressure issue sounds like an engineering problem that could probably be solved for the future as detailed below.

https://laist.com/news/climate-envir...drants-run-dry

[towernick2]

I was able to get to my parent’s house yesterday in the Palisades, nothing left but a chimney. My dad wasn’t able to get much out and I did find four watches we weren’t able to save including a Milgauss and Speedmaster Pro. I’m having trouble posting pics from my phone, but oddly enough the Milgauss bracelet stood up pretty well.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by INC

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...el-burned-down

That was sort of my point. It lasted almost 100 years in Pacific Palisades until these fires.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by SDGT3

Having lived in Socal all my life and been evacuated twice in my lifetime, I'm fairly confident some of the things you've mentioned are not accurate. It's difficult for someone in New Jersey (not to say your from NJ, just an example) to comprehend the type of topography we have here in CA. Many non natives cannot phantom how a house on the beach in Malibu can burn because they simply don't understand the canyons and venturi effect of Santa Ana winds moving west from the hills to the ocean. It happens every year, several times a year since the beginning of time, but this time was just different. Air support with retardant couldn't help this time either. It's tragic, but I'm not sure it can be characterized as a climate change event.

CA has a law that homeowners are required to clear at least 100' of defensible space around their homes. In the past, this may have been overlooked, however with the insurance companies pulling out of this market and the ability to use satellite images to see if there is defensive space, pending insurance renewal, it's been adhered to quite religiously.

PG&E has been a source of fires from downed power lines, especially in Northern CA, but not the case in Socal. There's already been reports of arrests of people who have been suspected of starting these fires - the number and location to be determined.

It's important to point out that something as large and tragic as this is almost always politicized in some fashion on either side. However, when looking at the facts and numbers, the LAFD budget wasn't cut dramatically, only 2%. At the same time, LAPD budget increased $126m. The water pressure issue sounds like an engineering problem that could probably be solved for the future as detailed below.

https://laist.com/news/climate-envir...drants-run-dry

I'm in agreement although your arguments are more eloquent than mine.

The Woolsey fire in 2018 in LA area was started by the SC Edison I believe, and they paid out a large sum of money.

[INC]

Originally Posted by Blansky

That was sort of my point. It lasted almost 100 years in Pacific Palisades until these fires.

I didn't comment on your opinion at all, I just shared the sad news. Even I read this :/ It' i terrible what's happening over there :( It seems to me, that it was not a simple wild fire, it was more like a firestorm. But in fact, for me it is more looking like hellfire... Terrible.

[Cazador60]

It's very depressing, even if you live in an area not affected you still know folks who have lost their homes and are experiencing survivor remorse. Damn winds picked up bad last night, I pray for an end to the Santa Ana winds so all fires can be contained.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Blansky

The Woolsey fire in 2018 in LA area was started by the SC Edison I believe, and they paid out a large sum of money.

This is why they need SMART planners NOW making plans. This is an excellent opportunity to start fresh with a proper plan given the known fires, floods, earthquakes, and run underground power, utilities, etc. But that's many years down the line after all the typical Republic of California beuracracy and debates.

Let us hope Hollywood Stars whose homes are still standing truly love their fellow human let others live in their homes / guest homes. Help their neighbors, and be kind as we hear them say all the time at awards shows, talk shows, etc. Surely the Hilton family can provide residences for those left homeless and are now struggling. This is Hollywood's finest moment to show the world they care.