Where are all the Republican diehards who don't see that Global Warming has already done away with large portions of our comfortable lives, and is rapidly changing the world in basic ways that will require downsizing in our use of fossil fuels and retrenchment in our shores? It is obviously (to most people but not diehards) that we have polluted ourselves on the road to oblivion, and will most certainly attain that goal with unpleasant swiftness unless we recognize that emergency measures are called for and undertake to carry them out. Floods, draughts, mudslides, uncontrollable forest fires, and hundreds of burned out homes have been inflicted on us. But we are still polluting away as if it were all not a reality.
3
To all of you who have said that people in California should be banned from living in fire zones, there isn't a part of this nation that isn't in reality a fire zone. Aside from the fires set by nature, I don't think there is a one of you who hasn't seen a fire in a village, town, city or mega-city that hasn't been the result of people initiating those fires. Whether the fire is due to bad electrical or gas maintenance, freak accident, hiding a crime, or the work of an arsonist, the major cause of fires is people.
We need to be aware of the things in our lives that cause fires and practice prevention, so that fire fighters all over the country can devote their time to the fires that no human has caused. No matter where we live - New York City or Phoenix Arizona, or the wilderness areas of Idaho or California - we need to make each of us a fire safe zone.
We need to be aware of the things in our lives that cause fires and practice prevention, so that fire fighters all over the country can devote their time to the fires that no human has caused. No matter where we live - New York City or Phoenix Arizona, or the wilderness areas of Idaho or California - we need to make each of us a fire safe zone.
4
Vanity of vanities and all is vanity...
Tragedy is the story here. After four years of drought, fires will occur, and they are sometimes natural causes. In 2006 and 2011, snowpacks in the Sierras were some of the highest in over 100 years. Hopefully this year's El Nino will give us another wet year with high snowpack. http://www.thestormking.com/Weather/Sierra_Snowfall/sierra_snowfall.html
And I thought my life had been upended. I just had new cabinets put in my kitchen and the place is a mess. Can't even get a decent cup of coffee easily.
Good luck to everybody in Middleton, California, and elsewhere in CA where wild fires take their yearly tolls. One of the things I've learned from reading about California disasters is that most people out there love it so much they don't leave even after calamities strike their area. And widespread disasters bring their own sort of special atmospheres and meanings with them. We never treat each other better than during such events. Good luck to everybody there, and look for how your life has changed for the better a year from now.
I've been to Santa Rosa, CA, so I have a bit of a sense of that part of California, and it is special. Alfred Hitchcock liked it so much he shot one of his great movies, "Shadow of a Doubt" there.
5
The tragedy in Middletown reminded me of the devastating fire in the early 90's in the Berkeley Hills. Just like Deanna Hingst's description of her home- all that was left of the house we visited was perfectly fire-free Corningware casserole. To this day- every time I use mine I think of that scene- and of the amazing properties of that cookware.
6
its not only humans who suffer.... its all the rest of the life: wildlife, birds, animals, plants, trees, insects, and more. All these species are part of the life we live together with. Time for the news to appreciate all species in these devastating events. I am convinced that current storms, fires, winds and weather are being accelerated by the extreme and ongoing use of fossil fuels and the ignoring or opposing its presence
is going to be the biggest problem ever.
is going to be the biggest problem ever.
4
Think of all of the hundreds of thousands of animals that died -- or are dying -- a terrified, painful death, and that are thirsty and scorched and starving. Even without fire, man-made climate change and drought cause a lot of pain and suffering for wildlife.
We humans sure know how to make life miserable for every other species on the planet. I have to say I'm more concerned about them than about someone who lost a closet full of clothing and a big-screen TV. Humans can buy insurance, animals get no help whatsoever.
We humans sure know how to make life miserable for every other species on the planet. I have to say I'm more concerned about them than about someone who lost a closet full of clothing and a big-screen TV. Humans can buy insurance, animals get no help whatsoever.
6
Anywhere in the West you have landscape that has been ravaged by fire for thousands of years. This will not only continue but get worse with global warming. We are seeing it now. If you live in the woods you need to build accordingly for fire. Roofs and siding need to be fire resistant. Vents need to be made that will keep the embers out. Why not think about underground homes, at least for barns, or animal/emergncy shelters. The sod homes of the prairies used to withstand the prairie fires. Soil does provide some insulating effect unless it is too full of large roots that could burn. Human beings are so lazy in their thinking. They just build homes in ways that are common but unsuited to the environment. This can't continue to happen in the future as we adapt to climate change, which won't be stopped unfortunately.
1
My parents live in Lake county, and I have traveled through Middletown more than once to see them. I could almost drive highway 175 in my sleep. We stopped one time at a diner and appreciated the quaint, time-gone-by quality of the place. It's hard to believe that there even were hundreds of homes to burn, much less how devastated the residents must feel now. I surely do hope that FEMA or the state can get their act together in a timely way so that people can rebuild.
It's tempting to blame this all on the drought or global warming or poor environmental decisions, but this is really mostly just freakish. Look on your maps and you will see, Middletown is surrounded by fields and St. Helena Creek. There is little reason to think they would be in especial danger. Sometimes terrible stuff happens and it's nobody's fault. Save your political statements for later. My thoughts and sympathies are with Middletown's families.
It's tempting to blame this all on the drought or global warming or poor environmental decisions, but this is really mostly just freakish. Look on your maps and you will see, Middletown is surrounded by fields and St. Helena Creek. There is little reason to think they would be in especial danger. Sometimes terrible stuff happens and it's nobody's fault. Save your political statements for later. My thoughts and sympathies are with Middletown's families.
10
I flew over the fires leaving San Fran two days ago... So sad...
2
People should not be building in areas where wildfires occur. A little common sense, please. It's like those who build on an erosion-prone cliff and then are surprised when their house falls into the sea.
2
People have lived in that region for thousands of years, and the town itself is 150 years old. (You don't happen to be an area prone to devastating hurricanes by any chance, do you?)
9
Or those who build in areas prone to hurricane damage, and then have their homes destroyed by flooding.
6
That is truly a useless Monday morning quarterback kind of thing to say. Practically the whole state of California is at risk for wildfires, not to mention many of the other western states. Should no one also build homes in the Midwest, where tornadoes regularly wreak havoc, or areas in the paths of seasonal hurricanes? I suggest that you have a little common sense -- and compassion -- before you blurt out things that only serve to make you feel that you are smarter than others who have suffered misfortune.
8
I live about 40 miles south of the Valley Fire. Saturday afternoon was cool and cloudy - welcome relief after three days of heat in excess of 100 degrees. Suddenly the wind started seriously gusting and the temperature went from about 74 to 86 in a matter of an hour. i knew under those conditions, it wouldn't take much to start a conflagration.
This is a natural disaster. Sympathy and donations for the displaced are in order. And thinking about climate change and mitigation for future disasters is appropriate. But blaming people for wanting to live in places at risk of natural disaster is foolish because there is no place absolutely safe from natural disaster.
This is a natural disaster. Sympathy and donations for the displaced are in order. And thinking about climate change and mitigation for future disasters is appropriate. But blaming people for wanting to live in places at risk of natural disaster is foolish because there is no place absolutely safe from natural disaster.
21
As a native (Eureka and Santa Barbara), I realize that history--at its most horrific--is being made. Kudos to the heroic efforts of firefighters and the Red Cross. In brief: a rural paradise has been ruined.
17
I'm from California and it breaks my heart to see this.
Those of us living in other parts of the country need to remember that we're not immune to climate change related problems. Last week our temperatures were 10-15 degrees above seasonal norms, each summer and autumn keep getting warmer and warmer. Torrential rains have been overwhelming our municipal water systems, disease carrying insects are becoming more common and numerous..... We need to keep all this in mind as the next election gets closer.
Those of us living in other parts of the country need to remember that we're not immune to climate change related problems. Last week our temperatures were 10-15 degrees above seasonal norms, each summer and autumn keep getting warmer and warmer. Torrential rains have been overwhelming our municipal water systems, disease carrying insects are becoming more common and numerous..... We need to keep all this in mind as the next election gets closer.
20
I've lived in California all my life, with no plans to leave. I was born and grew up about 50 miles south of the fire zone. I interviewed and nearly got a teaching job in MIddletown about 20 years ago. I find myself shedding tears when I read and see pix of the devastation. My wife received injuries in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake 26 years ago. Watching the pix brings back bad memories to her.
I wonder if the climate change deniers do not believe in fire either?
15
Apparently many are believers and believe in fire. Inversely, many climate alarmists aren't believers and don't fear it.
1
I am so sorry. I lived in Oakland for ten years; I've been to Harbin. I miss it so much. This is every fall in California, raised to some terrible exponent. My heart goes out to everyone, especially those donating their time, land, and resources to those who no longer have homes or communities.
11
How terrible for the lovely residents of Middletown and the beautiful oasis that was Harbin Hot Springs.
17
my friends from SF spoke lovingly of Harbin Hot Springs.. I saw tears in their eyes when they described the place. gone..
1
It will get much worse before it gets better - if it ever does from here on out. Our country and the world are being stymied in a full-front effort to stop the speed of our warming planet. That Republicans continue to deny climate change and our part in it and that James Inhofe is their lead naysayer and he chairs the Senate Science Committee does not bode well for us. America must take a huge leap in leading the world to a better place. I truly fear that those who continue to deny science and vote for people like Inhofe and Gohmert will destroy us all. Hyperbole? With the permafrost melting, throwing both carbon and methane into the atmosphere and woolly mammoths being exposed, my statement is not hyperbole.
26
It's time for new radical building codes in areas where these fires are predicated to possibly occur. Yes it would be more expensive to build, but it would go a long way to protect firefighters from the the risky times spent protecting homes.
These men and woman need all the help we can give them.
Many fire resistant products for home building already exist, they just need to be incorporated, not fire proof, but when I see wood shingles on a roof in some of these areas, not tile or cement shingles, I cringe.
These men and woman need all the help we can give them.
Many fire resistant products for home building already exist, they just need to be incorporated, not fire proof, but when I see wood shingles on a roof in some of these areas, not tile or cement shingles, I cringe.
13
California needs to accept the reality that there are places that are not fit for development. A buyout program for property owners in fire zones would seem prudent, similar to many states on the east coast that have buyout programs for property owners in flood zones. It's really time to let nature do what it's going to do, and stop getting in the way. We aren't going to stop floods and fires, especially since nothing meaningful is being done to combat the changing climate.
6
Houses in Lake County use propane for cooking. Houses there have propane tanks outside. It's also a rural place. The vegetation that surrounds the area is what makes it special. Wine production in Lake County predated Napa and Sonoma -- the grapes in Lake County were pulled out during Prohibition and replaced by other crops. People have been living there a long time. These fires are relatively new. On the east coast, there are ticks in areas with underbrush, and climate change is increasing that issue too. Are those areas unfit for development too?
2
Ticks? Ticks are not causing millions of dollars of property damage and resulting in million dollar containment effort shortfalls like fires. Hurricanes would have been a better analogy. And to that effect, buyout programs in floodprone places have recognized that just because people have lived somewhere for a long time, it doesn't mean it's a good idea today or into the future. Things change - so should our behavior in response.
Easy for you to say. Living among the redwoods is one of the many reasons people settle in California. I live in a town that is unlikely to be vulnerable to wildfires, but I am not advocating that folks necessarily move out of the wooded areas. I would rather see their energy spent in planning to protect their homes.
All this CO2 from forest fires is positive feedback for further climate change.
8
Forests aren't its only source.
The law that prevents the military from participating until all local contractors are engaged needs to be repealed and the military trained en masse every spring. In Washington the military helped to the tune of 200 Army, the National Guard and 2 that's two Blackhawks when there Are dozens sitting on the tarmac. Furthermore charge this to training for the military instead of other jurisdictions such as the Forest Service. Lots of people in Washington and California and elsewhere lost everything in these big fires because the fire fighters were stretched way too thin.
17
Folks, if you keep voting republican, as these disasters increase the answer you're going to get is to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, or pray.
68
The GOP with grow a new forest and the timber will be harvested before it burns.
3
We can believe all we want, but until China and India and the rest of the world agree to commit to doing something together, there will be lots of fires, smog and heat.
2
There will be no global agreement on what every nation should do to reduce pollution and other factors which contribute to global warming. And, like a crash diet, it would take a while to get back to a healthy state anyway.
One may love hummingbirds and trees, but it may be more practical in the long run to visit a park. Fires happen. Even Chicago burned once upon a time. Shoddy construction, overcrowding, etc. contributed to that disaster.
Zoning restrictions need to be looked at. Protecting people who live in fire-prone areas while necessary, should be reviewed very carefully. Simple math will prove that some areas are simply out of bounds for building, period. If you cannot afford to protect it, do not build. Short term a look at storm water retention, cisterns, water retention parks, etc. might be wise to review.
Innovative and cooperative thinking is necessary. also, a look at population and reality and longer term solutions is a necessity.
One may love hummingbirds and trees, but it may be more practical in the long run to visit a park. Fires happen. Even Chicago burned once upon a time. Shoddy construction, overcrowding, etc. contributed to that disaster.
Zoning restrictions need to be looked at. Protecting people who live in fire-prone areas while necessary, should be reviewed very carefully. Simple math will prove that some areas are simply out of bounds for building, period. If you cannot afford to protect it, do not build. Short term a look at storm water retention, cisterns, water retention parks, etc. might be wise to review.
Innovative and cooperative thinking is necessary. also, a look at population and reality and longer term solutions is a necessity.
10
i love these arguments--there's no problem with warming because Chicago once burned down, there is a prob but we'll never get an agreement on it anyway, and anyway the whole thing is greeners' fault because they built there in the first place.
By the way, how's the watwr quality in Chicago's river and lake these days? probably time to move everybody out.
By the way, how's the watwr quality in Chicago's river and lake these days? probably time to move everybody out.
2
Something oft overlooked in California is the fact that as the population pushes further out into desert or super-dry area, we can expect the fires that come during drought to bring a higher toll. This must be addressed, despite developer's and politician's distaste for any sort of damper on business-as-usual.
It's heartbreaking to see this-- I love the golden hills of Lake and Napa counties... may the resident people and animals find safety.
It's heartbreaking to see this-- I love the golden hills of Lake and Napa counties... may the resident people and animals find safety.
16
Sad news I wish good luck to all fire survivors
15
When I lived in the Bay Area I spent many happy weekends and a few vacation weeks at Harbin Hot Springs. It was an oasis. I haven't been back to the place since the early 1990s but when I saw the devastating pictures of it I just wept. I always feared that fire would consume it one day. Even in non-drought conditions the fire danger would always be very high in late summer and early fall.
9
Some rain may be headed towards that area this week,but maybe not enough yet,and I hope it doesn't bring strong winds with it.I understand that the firefighting efforts there are being hindered by the severe water shortage; water " tenders " are seeking water wherever it can be found,such as swimming pools.It's now estimated that this year's Sierra Nevada snowpack was the smallest in 500 years,adding both to the water shortage ,and to the severe drying of the forests.My heart goes out to the people there .
Here in the Northwest ,although there's been some recent rain ,we're experiencing our worst drought,which due to El Nino is expected to continue.So we've already voluntarily cut our water use 15 %, and I won't be surprised if the ongoing drought leads to mandantory restrictions.If our forests here in Western Washington keep getting dryer along with our ubundant urban greenbelts-much of them old growth,wildfires if they happen could be worsened by abundent fuel that hasn't burned for centuries.But that would hopefully be lessened by how much of even our urban greenbelts are mostly old growth,which is more resistant to wildfire.
Here in the Northwest ,although there's been some recent rain ,we're experiencing our worst drought,which due to El Nino is expected to continue.So we've already voluntarily cut our water use 15 %, and I won't be surprised if the ongoing drought leads to mandantory restrictions.If our forests here in Western Washington keep getting dryer along with our ubundant urban greenbelts-much of them old growth,wildfires if they happen could be worsened by abundent fuel that hasn't burned for centuries.But that would hopefully be lessened by how much of even our urban greenbelts are mostly old growth,which is more resistant to wildfire.
5
I hope someone in tomorrow night's Republican debate has the courage to ask what we should do about climate change, and bring up this disastrous summer as an example of what can happen if it's left unchecked. It's time the Republican Luddites get taken to task for denying what's become a major problem in one of our wealthiest states, and the people who've suffered there deserve more than patronizing and denial.
54
Like Obama, RINOs among them would rather wait until after the election. Until our forests are no longer managed by mail-in contributions to Sierra Club lawyers I'd review an incident plan that could cause 19 to perish in chaparral.
I hope the survivors of this fire can get on with their lives quickly and that suffering is reduced. Perhaps information gleaned from these tragedies can be used to prevent future catastrophes from occurring. This has been a severe drought and we all should admire the fortitude of the fire fighters who get up and walk toward the fire and risk their lives to protect our communities.
18
To heck with the Republican party I say. To heck with them!
Always a tax break for a wealthy company but never the funds to help our agencies or to educate about and mitigate climate change.
Heck, they've even blocked many efforts to restore the communities decimated by Katrina and Sandy.
The future is gonna blow if these wealth coddlers get more power.
Always a tax break for a wealthy company but never the funds to help our agencies or to educate about and mitigate climate change.
Heck, they've even blocked many efforts to restore the communities decimated by Katrina and Sandy.
The future is gonna blow if these wealth coddlers get more power.
62
Time to stop dithering and move full speed into a non-carbon based future. With focus and will, it could be done. Now. But where is the will? Where is the leadership? Where is the grassroots movement?
10
Stop looking for it and start it.
10
I recently joined a grassroots movement called One Earth Sangha. It is a Buddhist response to climate change.
3
This fire is, of course, one of many in the area. It stands out for the number of houses burnt down and the suggestion that it moved particularly fast. Firefighters work hard to prevent property damage from wild fires and almost always are successful. That is because they can contain most of the fires and assure that they don't move in the direction of people's homes. For some reason, this fire was beyond containment capabilities. It is not unique, but it is very unusual. The explanation for the tragic damage lies in the intricacies of the fire, overwhelming firefighting strategies. Other issues that people have raised are basically window dressing.
6
Forest fires are a cyclic happening that is natural. We had big ones in Colorado in 2012 and my forest and home were lost in them. My heart goes out to all that are affected by these tragic losses. It is really heartbreaking and you people are strong survivors and will get through this. NEVER GIVE UP was our motto and I'd like to pass it on.
15
Sigh. You may want to look up beetle-killed pines, and why the pine beetles have expanded their range and done so mich damage in the last 20 years.
No, it's not just Nature's cycles.
No, it's not just Nature's cycles.
1
Like people in Middleton, we should neither be in denial about global warming nor other blaming (as with some comments here) that California, which has always led the country in environmental, especially greenhouse gas emissions, is not doing enough. What we are seeing there in in the West as a whole is the impact of man-made, atmospheric pollution by our continued dependence on burning coal, gas, and oil. This may be viewed, as we often do, as just another local calamity, but to me it is the proverbial and ironic "canary in the coal mine" that both our nation and the entire planet we call home is becoming more and more inhospitable to human life.
28
In another article in this newspaper I found this question
Q. Is this about global warming?
A. The governor says it is. Climate scientists say there is no doubt that the weather is getting hotter, and that causes unpredictable shifts in precipitation patterns. But as always, they caution that the climate is a vast, endlessly complex system, making it hard to attribute any local event to global warming.
This may be true but the weather events of the past year seem not to spur any dialogue about this issue from the media. Night after night on tv we watch the devastation caused by heat-driven dry land as we did early this year when tornadoes ravaged the Midwest and Appalachian states. Not once did I see a newscaster attempt to at least initiate a discussion around the science of it all. It makes me think that the corporate-owned media outlets continue to lull us into complacency. Watching the fires and tornadoes destroy homes and businesses without any discussion of climate change is like watching a movie without an ending.
Q. Is this about global warming?
A. The governor says it is. Climate scientists say there is no doubt that the weather is getting hotter, and that causes unpredictable shifts in precipitation patterns. But as always, they caution that the climate is a vast, endlessly complex system, making it hard to attribute any local event to global warming.
This may be true but the weather events of the past year seem not to spur any dialogue about this issue from the media. Night after night on tv we watch the devastation caused by heat-driven dry land as we did early this year when tornadoes ravaged the Midwest and Appalachian states. Not once did I see a newscaster attempt to at least initiate a discussion around the science of it all. It makes me think that the corporate-owned media outlets continue to lull us into complacency. Watching the fires and tornadoes destroy homes and businesses without any discussion of climate change is like watching a movie without an ending.
44
Well with our "take dominion" mentality I think you are putting the cart before the horse. I would submit that over years of callous disregard and respect for Mother Nature it is our human behavior that is putting the planet at risk.
8
So many people commenting on condeming those who did not maintain a defensible space or 'thats what you get for living in the wild'.
Naive and ignorant comments from anyone who never drove through Middletown. Folks-this is a tragedy that cannot be blamed on "people living in places not fit for residency." Idiotic, ill informed and insensitive thing to say. Out in the middle of the forest perhaps arguably appropriate-but not about those living in the downtown Middletown area that lost their homes. Please know the area you speak of before saying people got what they deserved.
Naive and ignorant comments from anyone who never drove through Middletown. Folks-this is a tragedy that cannot be blamed on "people living in places not fit for residency." Idiotic, ill informed and insensitive thing to say. Out in the middle of the forest perhaps arguably appropriate-but not about those living in the downtown Middletown area that lost their homes. Please know the area you speak of before saying people got what they deserved.
55
I lived through the Bel Air Fire in 1961. The Fire Department used our home as a base, so we were lucky. A neighbor, actor Burt Lancaster, was not. Some friends who went to help fight the fire saw a fire ball leap from a hill soar over a school and land on the opposite hill. Suddenly on that hill, Mr. Lancaster's lovely wooden home exploded in a fire storm. He was devastated at the loss of his dogs and his home. They said he vowed that day never to have a house consumed by fire again. When he rebuilt his house, he used glass, stone and steel. I can understand building a house of wood in a city like Los Angeles, but I am bewildered by people who move to grasslands and forests who build their houses of wood without realizing that fires are devastating and largely natural disasters that will eventually affect them.
I understand the desire to move to less populated scenic areas. I also lived near San Andreas many years ago (Butte Fire). Being one with nature and having a small town friendly atmosphere is something to be desired.
And so I feel heartsick for those in the Middletown and Mountain Ranch, Jackson, San Andres areas. They have been ripped from their homes and their lives. For those who choose to come back and rebuild in natural fire areas I only hope that like Mr. Lancaster, this time they will rebuild with fire proof material. I wish them all safety.
I understand the desire to move to less populated scenic areas. I also lived near San Andreas many years ago (Butte Fire). Being one with nature and having a small town friendly atmosphere is something to be desired.
And so I feel heartsick for those in the Middletown and Mountain Ranch, Jackson, San Andres areas. They have been ripped from their homes and their lives. For those who choose to come back and rebuild in natural fire areas I only hope that like Mr. Lancaster, this time they will rebuild with fire proof material. I wish them all safety.
21
I know the area between Cobb and Middletown, between Cobb and Kelseyville along Bottle Rock Road, and from I-5 to 29 pretty well, having visited that area hundreds of times between 1999 and 2010, including working there for years.
Someone I knew who grew up there and was in her 80s when she told me this said that before it was illegal, when people went hunting in the area, as they left, they'd set a small fire which would serve as a fire-break, and burn up the brush under the trees. She said it worked; there were never the big fires that have been in rural northern California that have occurred in the last 20 years.
During the years I drove through Lake County, the very dry brush under the trees in rural areas often had me thinking that the entire area was a huge fire waiting to happen. And there have been three huge fires there in the last few weeks.
Someone I knew who grew up there and was in her 80s when she told me this said that before it was illegal, when people went hunting in the area, as they left, they'd set a small fire which would serve as a fire-break, and burn up the brush under the trees. She said it worked; there were never the big fires that have been in rural northern California that have occurred in the last 20 years.
During the years I drove through Lake County, the very dry brush under the trees in rural areas often had me thinking that the entire area was a huge fire waiting to happen. And there have been three huge fires there in the last few weeks.
7
Addendum: Of course, those small fires were never set during the dry season.
What upset me was seeing the dead chestnut horse lying beside the road. People need to have escape plans for their dogs and cats and horses. Think of all the wildlife that die during these fires. People with domestic animals need to have some way to either move them or protect them from fire. They can creat wide areas of just dirt around their farms and cut down brush and trees. In SC, people have "fire breaks" between pine forests and their pastures.
In coastal areas, we plan for hurricanes so we can transport horses to safety. IN CALIFORNIA, the state has fairgrounds and other places to take horses for safety. People have to save their dogs and cats and horses as well as themselves by having a plan before there is a huge fire. I didn't move to California when I could have decades ago because of the dry spells there. Now it is much worse.
In coastal areas, we plan for hurricanes so we can transport horses to safety. IN CALIFORNIA, the state has fairgrounds and other places to take horses for safety. People have to save their dogs and cats and horses as well as themselves by having a plan before there is a huge fire. I didn't move to California when I could have decades ago because of the dry spells there. Now it is much worse.
14
My area in Rhode Island is also bad about animal safety in hurricanes. Finally they did something about a shelter, but it separates pets from their owners. Who is going to bring their pet to a place twenty miles away with no way to check on its well being or even if it has been lost by the shelter? No one. They are going to start driving away from the coast with their animals and hope they survive the winds.
5
This is a terrible tragedy affecting fellow Americans. One can only imagine the terror endured and heartbreak felt of our unlucky citizens who have had their lives massively disrupted through no fault of their own. Of course, the state and federal governments must and will assist these folks towards a resumption of normal life.
But that doesn't negate the essential fact of "California - the Golden State." Just returned from a Yosemite stay with side excursions to Sacramento and San Diego. Everywhere - the singular impression of a burnt out land. Didn't know whether to laugh or cry as I stood in a bone dry Yosemite riverbed which bore a sign warning of dangerous waters.
California faces an existential crisis - it's water needs cannot be met by natural means. There's hope for enormous winter rainfall to alleviate the drought - but it's not the solution. Right now - they don't have one.
But that doesn't negate the essential fact of "California - the Golden State." Just returned from a Yosemite stay with side excursions to Sacramento and San Diego. Everywhere - the singular impression of a burnt out land. Didn't know whether to laugh or cry as I stood in a bone dry Yosemite riverbed which bore a sign warning of dangerous waters.
California faces an existential crisis - it's water needs cannot be met by natural means. There's hope for enormous winter rainfall to alleviate the drought - but it's not the solution. Right now - they don't have one.
34
While I'm appreciative of your compassion, and glad you came to see our state, I think you overstate the problem. Fire has always been a big deal in our long, hot summers. Global warming may be playing a role, and this drought certainly is. We have much less water in our reservoirs, and much less snow in our mountains, but it's not quite time to panic. We need to conserve our water, and we are probably going to have to do it indefinitely now because it's beginning to seem that we may be experiencing the "new normal"
By making significant but fairly painless changes to how we water our crops, which crops we plant, and what landscaping we choose, we could fairly easily reduce our water use by half or more. Drip irrigation and lawn eradication are becoming standard in many areas, but ridiculous waste continues unabated in many places. While some localities charge a premium for large water users, many places in the central valley don't even have meters. Farmers, through an antiquated agreement, don't even pay for water at all in most cases, and the only limit is how deep they dig their wells or how much they pay to run the pumps. If there is reason to really worry, it is the prospect of an end to groundwater in much of the state. Many crops will soon be uneconomical, and the farmers and field hands will be out of work. Central Valley towns will fall apart as unemployment soars and businesses fail. The drought is manageable, but our foolishness must end.
By making significant but fairly painless changes to how we water our crops, which crops we plant, and what landscaping we choose, we could fairly easily reduce our water use by half or more. Drip irrigation and lawn eradication are becoming standard in many areas, but ridiculous waste continues unabated in many places. While some localities charge a premium for large water users, many places in the central valley don't even have meters. Farmers, through an antiquated agreement, don't even pay for water at all in most cases, and the only limit is how deep they dig their wells or how much they pay to run the pumps. If there is reason to really worry, it is the prospect of an end to groundwater in much of the state. Many crops will soon be uneconomical, and the farmers and field hands will be out of work. Central Valley towns will fall apart as unemployment soars and businesses fail. The drought is manageable, but our foolishness must end.
I find it odd that when Ted Cruz talks about the world being on fire, he isn't at all referring to this. He's not thinking about the environmental factors or resource management. He's not thinking about the need for shelter for families, the loss of business, the rebuilding. He's not thinking about the loss of human or animal life. He's not even thanking the firefighters who work tirelessly to put out the real fires.
73
No, he's thinking about the only thing he ever thinks about: himself. His political future, his "brand," his polling numbers, and of course, his wealth.
22
I suppose we should help the 13,000 since they were lucky enough to be born on this part of the planet and treat them as unfortunate refugees from their destroyed homes, instead of calling them dirty, good-for-nothing free-loading miscreants. What is this notion of nationhood that allows such callousness towards "not our people" that we would never dream to show towards our own?
[Good luck to the CA families. And to the rest of us to have to deal with conservative politicians still and try to some day convince them that global warming does in fact exist.]
[Good luck to the CA families. And to the rest of us to have to deal with conservative politicians still and try to some day convince them that global warming does in fact exist.]
29
It takes a lot of will power on my part to find sympathy for what is going on in California after the state decided to overturn a law mandating that they cut carbon emissions by 50% by a targeted date. My facts might not be 100% correct but the gist of the ruling was that it would be very expensive to implement the law and would potentially hurt jobs, and incomes in the state.
For the most part I applaud the state of California for being in the front of most environmental issues but when their legislature rules in favor of big business vs global warning, while they are smack dab in yet another year of devastating fires and drought, I am dumbstruck.
For the most part I applaud the state of California for being in the front of most environmental issues but when their legislature rules in favor of big business vs global warning, while they are smack dab in yet another year of devastating fires and drought, I am dumbstruck.
13
Geez. Did the people who lost their homes overturn that law? Are you responsible for the deaths in NYC resulting from VA's refusal to regulate guns?
29
Sorry - there is no cause and effect between that decision and the current wildfires. Think about weather vs. climate. Moreover, how do you know the voting record of those who lost their homes?
PS. What is your state legislature doing about flooding that occurs now during some high tides and the worse flooding to come?
PS. What is your state legislature doing about flooding that occurs now during some high tides and the worse flooding to come?
2
I'm dumbstruck that you would post such a heartless message in the face of all these communities have lost. Should any such tragedy befall you, I hope that you do not receive a message so lacking in compassion. This is not about politics - it's about human beings.
5
It is important to have a smoke hood in every room. You can find them on Amazon. Smoke masks save lives. A good mask is the Firemask. Stay safe
11
There's not enough old growth left to manage the extent of these burns. And there is not enough old growth left because we have raped the earth, with our selfish unthinking use of her, while dumping massive amounts of pollution into the air and water. So now with the old growth left in tiny amounts, the forests have no defenses with so much young and quickly burned new growth. The ticks have taken over as an example of what great cathedrals of old growth forests do to protect the balance of the earth. Some birds cannot survive without the deep forests. We've sucked up the water out of the aquifers and damned the rivers. The lists goes on and on. And we with our plastic flip flops and clothes from China and Bangledash, food from South America, Australia, and Africa, have no idea how we've all contributed to this.
40
Well actually another part is the opposite. Because people choose to live in wooded areas we suppress fires. Forest fires are a natural and necessary thing. When we suppress them we great bigger ones as they have more fuel to burn. Though with the unprecedented (in modern times) drought in California this would happen anyway.
6
People are not building in old growth forests because there aren't any to speak of.
4
Middletown is not a mountain town, it is in a valley surrounded by mountains, but is is in a broad valley where there are vineyards, and cattle ranches. The writer of this story might like to dramatize the event, but it was embers from the fires around the town that set the buildings on fire. Many of them were built in the 1800s.
It is a winding 2 lane 29 mile drive over Mt, St Helena from Callistoga, past Robert Louis Stevenson Park State.
One of the major causes of homes burning down was exploding propane tanks, the town does not have a gas company.
It is a winding 2 lane 29 mile drive over Mt, St Helena from Callistoga, past Robert Louis Stevenson Park State.
One of the major causes of homes burning down was exploding propane tanks, the town does not have a gas company.
56
San Bruno had a gas company so your point is?
I lived in Middletown when I was young, I went to first and second grade there.
My grandmother, her brothers and sisters were born there, my great grandfather built the general store, grandmother was born in 1878 there.
The store has been gone for many years, it looks like the house I lived in may have burned down, My school mates were Pomo Indians from the reservation south of town. We kids would fish in St. Helena Creek which is on the east side of town. Before Berryessa Dam was built on Putah creek we would catch steelhead trout in the spring.
It was a good place to be a kid, no helicopter parents, we went to the swimming hole where the reservation is, we learned to look out for rattlesnakes, and caught some of the biggest gopher snakes you ever saw.
We could go to an orchard and eat a pear, peach, or cherries, got our eggs from a farm down the road. There were four bars in town, it was only six block long. I am sure people will rebuild, but the town will never be the same.
My grandmother, her brothers and sisters were born there, my great grandfather built the general store, grandmother was born in 1878 there.
The store has been gone for many years, it looks like the house I lived in may have burned down, My school mates were Pomo Indians from the reservation south of town. We kids would fish in St. Helena Creek which is on the east side of town. Before Berryessa Dam was built on Putah creek we would catch steelhead trout in the spring.
It was a good place to be a kid, no helicopter parents, we went to the swimming hole where the reservation is, we learned to look out for rattlesnakes, and caught some of the biggest gopher snakes you ever saw.
We could go to an orchard and eat a pear, peach, or cherries, got our eggs from a farm down the road. There were four bars in town, it was only six block long. I am sure people will rebuild, but the town will never be the same.
102
Even now, as California forests are being reduced to barren ash, lawmakers across the USA do not "believe" that global warming is "real."
How is it possible for humanity to muster our resources and do what is necessary for civilization to survive when individuals in positions of political power are unable to acknowledge the reality of what is happening in front of their eyes?
How is it possible for humanity to muster our resources and do what is necessary for civilization to survive when individuals in positions of political power are unable to acknowledge the reality of what is happening in front of their eyes?
137
It is well-established by climate researchers that the California drought is mostly caused by local weather patterns and that climate change, if relevant. has a relatively minor influence. The Times has repeatedly reported this fact as have other media outlets. It's particularly important not to make mistakes about the effects of global warming because deniers latch on to any inaccuracy to argue that climate change does not exist.
10
They don't have all the power. A good bit of power is in voting. Vote them out.
1
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”
― Upton Sinclair, I, Candidate for Governor: And How I Got Licked
― Upton Sinclair, I, Candidate for Governor: And How I Got Licked
3
Every year we have these fires in CA, and firefighters swear each time it is the worst they have ever seen. We can either continue to spend a billion dollars a year to put young men and women in harm's way, or we can recognize the pattern and demand these communities prepare for these fires. Fire marshals in this state have been loathe to hand out citations to those who do not manage their vegetation. That needs to change.
21
Hi Bryan:
Please watch the videos of downtown Middletown being engulfed in fire and please tell us how handing out citations for those who did not manage the grass in their front yard would have made a difference.
Please watch the videos of downtown Middletown being engulfed in fire and please tell us how handing out citations for those who did not manage the grass in their front yard would have made a difference.
31
With all due respect the violence with which this fire spread had more to do with a four year drought and an ultra hot week and years of accumulated brush and tinder on public lands in the area than a few residents who may not have weed-whacked their back yards.
24
Read local reports of how firefighters tried to defend against this fire. At the Bar X Ranch, leaves in the gutters of the ranch house ignited, and they lost it. Look at the vegetation surrounding homes in Middleton on Google Street View.--the town was not ready for a fire. This is not about "weed whacking" your yard anymore. Small communities in Southern California and Australia, for example, are making hard choices about how homes need to plan for fires like this, and with climate change, we need to as well.
6
To think of all the money spent on our 'national defense' in the Middle East, and yet, here in our own country, knowing the fires are coming, we are unprepared to deal with them. How did we allow these fires to destroy homes and businesses, not to mention the brave firefighters who were recently killed? Can't we bring some of the National Guard to help out? Isn't this 'Homeland Security' as well? Insane!
74
I don't know if it is true in this situation, but when I was fighting the 1991 firestorm in Oakland, the anti-regulation mania meant that there were no standards to guarantee that the equipment from one jurisdiction was compatible with that from another.
I was trying to protect a school embedded in eucalyptus trees. We had a hydrant, and a fire company dropped off a 4" hose for us to use. Unfortunately, the hose thread would not connect to the hydrant. I ran to the firestorm command center, which was not far away and got some guys who were up from Bakersfield to give me a coupler. That didn't work. I went back six more times, and none of the couplers would do the job, none would connect that particular hose to that particular hydrant.
Talk about frustration, be surrounded by fire, have a hydrant in one hand, a hose in another, and not be able to put them together. Hopefully things have changed and compatibility of all types of emergency equipment is now mandated by law. Hopefully, even the anti-government regulation crowd is willing to admit that some regulations are a good idea.
I was trying to protect a school embedded in eucalyptus trees. We had a hydrant, and a fire company dropped off a 4" hose for us to use. Unfortunately, the hose thread would not connect to the hydrant. I ran to the firestorm command center, which was not far away and got some guys who were up from Bakersfield to give me a coupler. That didn't work. I went back six more times, and none of the couplers would do the job, none would connect that particular hose to that particular hydrant.
Talk about frustration, be surrounded by fire, have a hydrant in one hand, a hose in another, and not be able to put them together. Hopefully things have changed and compatibility of all types of emergency equipment is now mandated by law. Hopefully, even the anti-government regulation crowd is willing to admit that some regulations are a good idea.
139
That is similar to story of ow the NIST, National Institute for Standards and Technology, came to be very involved in fires. There was a fire in about 1903, I think at Commerce, and the threads didn't match.
If nothing else, I would think the NFPA, National Fire Protection Association, who set most fire related standards would have addressed that problem.
If nothing else, I would think the NFPA, National Fire Protection Association, who set most fire related standards would have addressed that problem.
Have great memories of Harbin 30 years ago and small communities like Middleton and historic Calistoga... Visiting last fall I wondered how soon the entire region northeast of Calistoga would go up in flames... Tinder dry and bomb ready to explode and yet people still moving in and expecting safety. Coming down thru Sierra foothills last weekend appalled by suburban sprawl along the Sonora 108 corridor... Surrounded by dry stressed forests and parched oak hillsides... The whole area could be wiped out by a firestorm... Likely and maybe not a bad thing... Driving humans out of areas they shouldn't be allowed to settle in the first place.
16
Folks who inhabit these places are in the path of forest management policy which fuel these conflagrations. Interference with a rational plan to harvest pine bark beetle could have significantly reduced the impact of many currently burning fires. Instead, as they skip the crowns downhill as well as up some are just now approaching the largest of those bright orange tree stands.
2
The same thing could be said about the city in which you live and its proximity to the San Andreas Fault. But of course that would be a cruel thing to say, as is your comment.
4
One could say the same about those who choose to live on top of faults. Or, in areas that could flood. Or, in places that are hurricane- or tornado-prone, or are near refineries or chemical plants or fracking operations, or where landslides can happen, or where the heat would kill you without unless you rely on AC.
Pray tell: where can one live that is hazard-free? Please don't say San Francisco...
Pray tell: where can one live that is hazard-free? Please don't say San Francisco...
4
This tragedy is quite the in thing in California for years and perhaps decades even. My heartfelt sympathies to all the affected families and all those brave firefighters, who fight with fire endlessly risking their lives all the time whether it's a building fire, individual apartment or home fire or forest fire.
I think human error whether deliberate or unintentional must be one of the main reasons causing these unwanted troubles not only for the Mother Nature but also for the human beings and ecology.
It's high time the authorities concerned must take serious steps in this regard and punish the guilty severely if any so that such damage won't be recur again. Further it harms not only Mother Nature but affects the breathing problems of people pretty badly in addition to contributing to the global warming.
I think human error whether deliberate or unintentional must be one of the main reasons causing these unwanted troubles not only for the Mother Nature but also for the human beings and ecology.
It's high time the authorities concerned must take serious steps in this regard and punish the guilty severely if any so that such damage won't be recur again. Further it harms not only Mother Nature but affects the breathing problems of people pretty badly in addition to contributing to the global warming.
4
And how are you going to "punish" lightning strikes, which are often the cause of these fires?
1
This is tragic, a lot of people lost their homes and community. Efforts to rebuild must reflect what was learned by this horror. Distance between homes and other homes or trees needs to be expanded and water reservoirs are needed at the residential level to quench the fires thirst.
2
Reservoirs for each individual home?? Water pulled from where exactly, in this drought?
13
I know this area well, and in many of the areas between Cobb and Middletown, the houses aren't close to each other at all.
6
"They loaded up antique rugs but left behind a mother’s quilts." Is it true? It feels insensitive to the people who are affected by the fire.
5
Harlan Sadberry is just an amazing human being, this is absolutely heartbreaking. It is a miracle that Harbin was able to evacuate so many, so quickly considering how fast the fire was moving and there is only one route out. Middletown and Harbin are very special communities, complete tragedy.
45
We have to get use to the new reality which is called "Global Warming" and is brought about by humans.
These fires are tragic and I wish every single American could smell the smoke and see the skies. Tragic. Tragic. Tragic.
These fires are tragic and I wish every single American could smell the smoke and see the skies. Tragic. Tragic. Tragic.
60
This is heartbreaking, but these raging wildfires are simply becoming a routine.
Perhaps we have to get used to the new reality: Don't be surprised if such a fire engulfs and destroys your home in the next few hours. We will just have to prepare for it.
These fires are not going to go away. So we have to.
Perhaps we have to get used to the new reality: Don't be surprised if such a fire engulfs and destroys your home in the next few hours. We will just have to prepare for it.
These fires are not going to go away. So we have to.
19
A routine? Of course there are raging fires each year, but this one that hit Middleton was, as stated, one of the worst recorded in California's history.
I'm not sure how one would sufficiently prepare for something like this--physically or mentally. And we can't simply just "go away."
One of my good friends lost her childhood home today, and has yet to get in touch with her uncle to know if he is safe/alive. Her parents still lived there until yesterday and had for over 30 years (luckily they were evacuated in plenty of time to be safe). Not only was their home destroyed, but nearly every memento or representation of the past 30+ years. No way to prepare for that.
I'm not sure how one would sufficiently prepare for something like this--physically or mentally. And we can't simply just "go away."
One of my good friends lost her childhood home today, and has yet to get in touch with her uncle to know if he is safe/alive. Her parents still lived there until yesterday and had for over 30 years (luckily they were evacuated in plenty of time to be safe). Not only was their home destroyed, but nearly every memento or representation of the past 30+ years. No way to prepare for that.
1
This is good reporting.
36
What a tragedy. I wish everyone affected best wishes and peace.
51
surreal.
trained soccer teams at Middletown HS just three years ago and things were lush.
My love to all there.
Climate change is REAL folks. Watch that Republican "DEBATE" and weep.
trained soccer teams at Middletown HS just three years ago and things were lush.
My love to all there.
Climate change is REAL folks. Watch that Republican "DEBATE" and weep.
125
The California Forests drying up, dying...A new harsh reality has come to the west. It's going to be a totally different place. I don't know how the abundant bear and cougar populations will deal the death of the forests, but it won't be fun for anything living here.
45
John R. The US is the 1st or 2nd (after China) producer of carbon emissions in the world.
5
Wetter years cause lush growth, which in dry years becomes a tinderbox.
2
The Congress needs to restore the money to all the various firefighting funds, like the Forest Service that were gutted in the sequester.
They also just need to raise taxes and be done with it, because we need this stuff and we have to pay for it.
They also just need to raise taxes and be done with it, because we need this stuff and we have to pay for it.
188
Who said anything about more regulations? Mr. Battey very reasonably pointed out that we need to restore money to the fire-fighting units. We do need them, & they have to be paid somehow.
41
Nope... The problem is people living in places that are not fit for residency AND expecting the government to bail them out when the inevitable happens. Climate change will be tough on those who don't pay attention.
22
I really wish the Sierra Club would quit telling folks who legally own property in the mountains to bake cakes for them.
1