The Park Fire’s intensity and rapid spread led fire officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Camp Fire, which burned out of control in nearby Paradise in 2018, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes.
More than 130 structures have been destroyed by this fire so far, and thousands more remain threatened. It stood at 374 square miles (967 square kilometers) on Friday night and was moving fast after igniting Wednesday when a man pushed a burning car into a gully in Chico, authorities said, and then calmly blended in with others fleeing the scene.
“There’s a tremendous amount of fuel out there and it’s going to continue with this rapid pace,” Cal Fire incident commander Billy See said at a briefing.
…
More than 110 active fires covering 2,800 square miles (7,250 square kilometers) were burning in the U.S. on Friday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Some were caused by the weather, with climate change increasing the frequency of lightning strikes as the region endures record heat and bone-dry conditions.
At the beginning of the month someone else was arrested in nearby Oroville for starting multiple fires over the course of a few days. I think they were rigging e-cigs to ignite fires and throwing...
At the beginning of the month someone else was arrested in nearby Oroville for starting multiple fires over the course of a few days. I think they were rigging e-cigs to ignite fires and throwing them out their car window. People in that area are being denied insurance for their homes because of the increased risk and incidence of fire over the past few years. I bet this guy will get the book thrown at him—everyone is so fed up at this point.
I had to look that up, but found an article that paints a different picture, there was an Oroville man who started a backfire with a propane torch in order to stop a wildfire from spreading and to...
I had to look that up, but found an article that paints a different picture, there was an Oroville man who started a backfire with a propane torch in order to stop a wildfire from spreading and to protect property... at least that's his defense, but it also sounds like the firefighters believed him? https://www.yahoo.com/news/oroville-man-61-arrested-quarter-164149391.html
Controlled burns are managed by someone, someone who has to be responsible for the risk. If the state decides to do a controlled burn and it gets out of control, they're liable. An individual...
Controlled burns are managed by someone, someone who has to be responsible for the risk. If the state decides to do a controlled burn and it gets out of control, they're liable. An individual citizen (for the most part) can't afford to cover all the damage they might cause by losing control of the fire, so they can't prescribe them.
Controlled burns require specific atmospheric conditions, conditions which are harder to come by due to changing climate.
Honestly, controlled goats or lawn mowers are a more realistic expectation at this point.
Slightly isn't going to cut it though. We've pushed the WUI so far that you'd need to move a lot to get enough getting for 'safe' wildfires. The myth of unmanaged wild land was propagated by...
Slightly isn't going to cut it though. We've pushed the WUI so far that you'd need to move a lot to get enough getting for 'safe' wildfires. The myth of unmanaged wild land was propagated by Europeans finding 'new' lands (suspiciously free of earlier inhabitants) in great condition (due to direct participation in the environment from said earlier inhabitants.)
I think I was misremembering about the Oroville arson being caught, but the blowtorch guy seems to be a different person. I can't find any info about the e-cig rigger, though. When all of that was...
I think I was misremembering about the Oroville arson being caught, but the blowtorch guy seems to be a different person. I can't find any info about the e-cig rigger, though. When all of that was happening, I was getting the info from my cousin who lives in Oroville. I think that a lot of the info going around at the time must have been shared through social media somehow, but since I am not on any of those platforms I guess I am out of the loop. There is also the chance that hysteria played into that story circulating. There are lots of ranchers and homesteaders in that area, and people like my cousin were frantically moving all their animals over and over again because someone kept starting fires. This was also around the 4th of July, and I believe that it is legal to buy certain kinds of fireworks in Butte County, so maybe it was just negligence?
Think of it this way, if you're indiscriminately mad at a large number of people, arson is a great way to indiscriminately impact them. I'm not mad at Jeff three doors down but I hate everyone in...
Think of it this way, if you're indiscriminately mad at a large number of people, arson is a great way to indiscriminately impact them.
I'm not mad at Jeff three doors down but I hate everyone in that suburb over there with their perfect little suburban lives - let's see how they like this!
Or, more conspiratorially, maybe it's a ploy to destroy California. Insurance won't cover houses, burn down the houses and people have to leave. People leaving might dilute the state's ability to be a leader in safety and climate focused regulation.
Or, just general anti social behavior. Literally not thinking about where the fire goes and who might be hurt, it's just fun to make little bombs and cause some mayhem. Everything else be damned.
Or, a fourth option that I haven't even thought of!
That fourth option might be spies from china or russia hired to attack the US from the inside, starting fires to ruin our country, people, and its economy. I joke, ofc.
That fourth option might be spies from china or russia hired to attack the US from the inside, starting fires to ruin our country, people, and its economy.
While I don't specifically think that you're right, there's no strong reason to think you're wrong either. Given Russia's recent sabotage and assassination attempts in Europe, we know that they...
While I don't specifically think that you're right, there's no strong reason to think you're wrong either. Given Russia's recent sabotage and assassination attempts in Europe, we know that they engage in similar behaviors elsewhere. California is far from the front lines of the war, but it's a cheap spark to set and a costly fire to stop.
I wonder then, if Russia is behind the attempted kill on Trump too. Or did you not mean to imply that Russia is behind the assassination attempts in Europe? (I'm out of the loop there)
I wonder then, if Russia is behind the attempted kill on Trump too. Or did you not mean to imply that Russia is behind the assassination attempts in Europe? (I'm out of the loop there)
I was talking about the attempted assassination of the CEO of an arms manufacturer that had been sending arms to Ukraine. Nothing that I've heard about the young man who shot at Trump indicates...
I was talking about the attempted assassination of the CEO of an arms manufacturer that had been sending arms to Ukraine. Nothing that I've heard about the young man who shot at Trump indicates that he was radicalized or supported by any foreign country. But the fact that there's been enough assassination attempts that I need to clarify is a bit of a bummer, yeah?
Arson is a huge part of American culture. Like Apple Pie and School Shootings. It's almost like having a dog-eat-dog "meritocracy" with racism-enhanced classism and a gaping maw for a social...
Arson is a huge part of American culture. Like Apple Pie and School Shootings.
It's almost like having a dog-eat-dog "meritocracy" with racism-enhanced classism and a gaping maw for a social safety net breeds all sort of social ills.
American of 40 years here and this is the first I’m hearing of this. Are you saying Americans believe that catching stuff on fire with malicious intent is part of our ethos? Sure, we may love our...
American of 40 years here and this is the first I’m hearing of this. Are you saying Americans believe that catching stuff on fire with malicious intent is part of our ethos?
Sure, we may love our fireworks and campfires with a drunken guy playing Wonderwall on guitar, but I can’t say I’ve ever met a living, breathing arsonist.
I don’t know any convicted arsonists, but I know a lot of people that have started businesses and had unfortunate fires happen after the books started showing the writing on the wall. Farmers and...
but I can’t say I’ve ever met a living, breathing arsonist.
I don’t know any convicted arsonists, but I know a lot of people that have started businesses and had unfortunate fires happen after the books started showing the writing on the wall. Farmers and their barns in my area seem particularly susceptible.
Edit: To be clear, I don't assume this to be a uniquely American thing.
It is not surprising and I have no opinion on whether it is right or wrong. I just think that the number of people that start destructive fires in America is probably more than power0utage assumes.
It is not surprising and I have no opinion on whether it is right or wrong. I just think that the number of people that start destructive fires in America is probably more than power0utage assumes.
I understand you're being somewhat facetious, but it's not a funny joke. Someone might read this and think you're being serious. Arson is NOT a part of American culture.
I understand you're being somewhat facetious, but it's not a funny joke. Someone might read this and think you're being serious. Arson is NOT a part of American culture.
So school shootings are part of American culture then? I think that sort of gave away that it wasn't entirely serious to anyone who doesn't think that to be true anyhow. While school shootings...
So school shootings are part of American culture then? I think that sort of gave away that it wasn't entirely serious to anyone who doesn't think that to be true anyhow. While school shootings might not be something that happens much if at all in many other countries relative to the US, it's not happening at every school all the time in the US either. It's also not something people desire or embrace to bring it into their culture, it's an undesired side effect of other aspects of US culture.
I don't know the statistics on arson relative to other countries so I'm not going to defend the idea that arson is more uniquely problematic in the US like school shootings are, but that would be the fairest interpretation of that line.
From the article:
…
The camp fire was terrible. There was only one road to get out.
At the beginning of the month someone else was arrested in nearby Oroville for starting multiple fires over the course of a few days. I think they were rigging e-cigs to ignite fires and throwing them out their car window. People in that area are being denied insurance for their homes because of the increased risk and incidence of fire over the past few years. I bet this guy will get the book thrown at him—everyone is so fed up at this point.
I had to look that up, but found an article that paints a different picture, there was an Oroville man who started a backfire with a propane torch in order to stop a wildfire from spreading and to protect property... at least that's his defense, but it also sounds like the firefighters believed him? https://www.yahoo.com/news/oroville-man-61-arrested-quarter-164149391.html
There was a separate arson suspect in Chico a couple days ago who allegedly pushed a burning car into the woods that started the Park Fire, that the OP is talking about https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article290426029.html
There is a logic to it, if they were to do controlled burns on the off-season there wouldn't be such a large feedstock on-season.
Controlled burns are managed by someone, someone who has to be responsible for the risk. If the state decides to do a controlled burn and it gets out of control, they're liable. An individual citizen (for the most part) can't afford to cover all the damage they might cause by losing control of the fire, so they can't prescribe them.
Controlled burns require specific atmospheric conditions, conditions which are harder to come by due to changing climate.
Honestly, controlled goats or lawn mowers are a more realistic expectation at this point.
Living slightly further from grasslands and forests and letting them burn naturally is plenty realistic, just stop rebuilding in high-risk zones.
Slightly isn't going to cut it though. We've pushed the WUI so far that you'd need to move a lot to get enough getting for 'safe' wildfires. The myth of unmanaged wild land was propagated by Europeans finding 'new' lands (suspiciously free of earlier inhabitants) in great condition (due to direct participation in the environment from said earlier inhabitants.)
I think I was misremembering about the Oroville arson being caught, but the blowtorch guy seems to be a different person. I can't find any info about the e-cig rigger, though. When all of that was happening, I was getting the info from my cousin who lives in Oroville. I think that a lot of the info going around at the time must have been shared through social media somehow, but since I am not on any of those platforms I guess I am out of the loop. There is also the chance that hysteria played into that story circulating. There are lots of ranchers and homesteaders in that area, and people like my cousin were frantically moving all their animals over and over again because someone kept starting fires. This was also around the 4th of July, and I believe that it is legal to buy certain kinds of fireworks in Butte County, so maybe it was just negligence?
Why would anyone do that?
Think of it this way, if you're indiscriminately mad at a large number of people, arson is a great way to indiscriminately impact them.
I'm not mad at Jeff three doors down but I hate everyone in that suburb over there with their perfect little suburban lives - let's see how they like this!
Or, more conspiratorially, maybe it's a ploy to destroy California. Insurance won't cover houses, burn down the houses and people have to leave. People leaving might dilute the state's ability to be a leader in safety and climate focused regulation.
Or, just general anti social behavior. Literally not thinking about where the fire goes and who might be hurt, it's just fun to make little bombs and cause some mayhem. Everything else be damned.
Or, a fourth option that I haven't even thought of!
Some people are fire bugs and they just like to start one and see what happens. The unpredictable but dangerous nature of fire can be fascinating.
That fourth option might be spies from china or russia hired to attack the US from the inside, starting fires to ruin our country, people, and its economy.
I joke, ofc.
While I don't specifically think that you're right, there's no strong reason to think you're wrong either. Given Russia's recent sabotage and assassination attempts in Europe, we know that they engage in similar behaviors elsewhere. California is far from the front lines of the war, but it's a cheap spark to set and a costly fire to stop.
I wonder then, if Russia is behind the attempted kill on Trump too. Or did you not mean to imply that Russia is behind the assassination attempts in Europe? (I'm out of the loop there)
I was talking about the attempted assassination of the CEO of an arms manufacturer that had been sending arms to Ukraine. Nothing that I've heard about the young man who shot at Trump indicates that he was radicalized or supported by any foreign country. But the fact that there's been enough assassination attempts that I need to clarify is a bit of a bummer, yeah?
Arson is a huge part of American culture. Like Apple Pie and School Shootings.
It's almost like having a dog-eat-dog "meritocracy" with racism-enhanced classism and a gaping maw for a social safety net breeds all sort of social ills.
American of 40 years here and this is the first I’m hearing of this. Are you saying Americans believe that catching stuff on fire with malicious intent is part of our ethos?
Sure, we may love our fireworks and campfires with a drunken guy playing Wonderwall on guitar, but I can’t say I’ve ever met a living, breathing arsonist.
I don’t know any convicted arsonists, but I know a lot of people that have started businesses and had unfortunate fires happen after the books started showing the writing on the wall. Farmers and their barns in my area seem particularly susceptible.
Edit: To be clear, I don't assume this to be a uniquely American thing.
If that’s the only option that lets one get out of a failing business before it leaves them with personal debts, is it any surprise people choose it?
It is not surprising and I have no opinion on whether it is right or wrong. I just think that the number of people that start destructive fires in America is probably more than power0utage assumes.
I think it's more common than you might think.
I understand you're being somewhat facetious, but it's not a funny joke. Someone might read this and think you're being serious. Arson is NOT a part of American culture.
So school shootings are part of American culture then? I think that sort of gave away that it wasn't entirely serious to anyone who doesn't think that to be true anyhow. While school shootings might not be something that happens much if at all in many other countries relative to the US, it's not happening at every school all the time in the US either. It's also not something people desire or embrace to bring it into their culture, it's an undesired side effect of other aspects of US culture.
I don't know the statistics on arson relative to other countries so I'm not going to defend the idea that arson is more uniquely problematic in the US like school shootings are, but that would be the fairest interpretation of that line.
Followup: Park Fire arson suspect arrested. No information on the motive at this time.
Sounds like this guy was a real piece of work. He'd already collected quite a list of crimes, trying to fill out the bingo card?