First of all, I need to correct myself. Last years firestorm destroyed 240,000 acres, not 110,000.
Now, first off, those Santa Ana winds return this week and of of course, our imcompetent weather people have no idea how strong or how many days they will last.
Here’s the thing. Two committees came up with 26 suggestions to improve Orange County’s firefighting abilities totalling $200,000 million. Instead the State legislature rejected everyting but $14.1 million. Of course since none of the politicians live in fire areas..
Bottom line ( and all of these go into effect NEXT year):
1. Develop a program to offer more assistance to homeowner’s in wildfire areas.
2. Order two new Bell 412 helicopters. Delivery in February 2009.
3. Establish a full-time, year-round hand crew. In place by January 2009.
4. Establish staffing to FOUR persons at 12 stations, phased in over four years! What???
What they REJECTED was adding 1,100 firefighters and 131 new fire engines!
WTH???
Here are some quotes from Orange County Fire Chief Chip Prather:
"I didn’t expect it would take so long to get the help we got".
"We’re going to have to be able to stand on our own for a longer period of time".
"Can I say that everything is in place to prevent another firestorm? That’s like saying, can you prevent another Katrina!"
Here a few photos from last years firestorm, and a storm it was!!!
"The other bottom line is there is at least one arsonist is still running around out there, the brush is so dry it’s ready to start a fire just from cars driving by, there are hundreds of houses built against the wildland interface and the Santa Ana winds are coming," said Orange County’s Prather. "The risk is extreme."
"We are going to do our best when the bad things happen," Prather said. "But we’re only humans."
R U Serious? 
Know what I don’t get? Arsonists. Just don’t get it.
Hey man you gotta move to Alaska!
But really you don’t get away from all the crazies by doing so, but some.
I feel for the weather people, but at the same time seems like an easy enough job.
Be thankfull you got $14 million, committees never ever have the optimum answer.
Maybe you need a champion in the legislature eh?
Anyway Take Care !!!
If you ever want to get something fowled up quick, get a politician involved.I have always believed that our firemen and policemen are seriously under paid. Why would you want to short change a pay check on the person that’s going to come with a gun or a water hose and save your butt??I’m with you brother.
Boy I would be setting up a task force, cameras, neighborhood watches, security and lts more watchtowers to stop the arsonists. Also I would be providing people to speak in the schools from elementary school on up about the devastation of fire and let them know that arsonists go to prison and their families are responsible for paying for that damage. An arsonist is a possible murderer and possibly guilty of manslaughter as well as a myriad of broken laws and his prison sentence should be severe. Everytime there is a fire I would stress what will happen to the person who started this fire. EVERYTIME.
It’s tragic that this keeps happening. So ARNOLD… get busy and do some prevention tactics ok?
Stay safe Bob.
Bob, I hope that something gets done to make things better. I hope the arsonist is caught and is punished.
It is the same in our state. We have a governor who lives in Cgo instead of the state capitol and has gotten our state in as big a mess as george ryan did.
It does seem that something is wrong with the system yet what in the world is wrong with such people that think it’s cool to purposely start such fires? We have had a few idiots like that but it didn’t cause the kind of damage you’re talking about. I hope indeed that something improves with it all.
I had heard of the wildfires in California, never really had it in my mind. I THOUGHT I did, but what I pictured was nothing like what these pictures show. Stay safe my friend.
wow, scary
That IS scary. Those winds we get up here scare me to death too. It’s still crispy crunchy brown dry everywhere. I saw smoke yesterday, but luckily the winds were down. If it’s going to be as hot as they say next week, we could have a real problem, especially if our winds pick up too. Stay safe, Bob and remember you can always put a lawn sprinkler ON TOP of your house, if fires get too close. We did that one summer and it works great!