California is Burning (Again)
The news this morning said that California has only 1,100 fines burning now; many are under control and some are just left to burn. The National Guard has been deployed to help the over-stressed fire-fighters and Governor Schwarzenegger has tried to ban "safe and sane" fireworks this year, even though none of the fires were caused by their use. All of these fires were "Acts of God" and caused by lightening strikes. God apparently has it in for California and our evil ways.Last year, it was San Diego and the Los Angeles area. This year, it was Northern California - from Big Sur on the coast (now evacuated) and Santa Cruz, to hundreds and hundreds of fires in our stomping ground near Sacramento.
To make matters worse, one of our largest local lakes, a major source of irrigation, has closed the boating season due to low water levels. The water level is dropping so fast that owners were given 48 hours to get their boats out of the water before they would be sitting in mud. The lake also maintains the flow of water downstream for salmon. Salmon runs were at the lowest level in recorded history and there was a call for a moratorium on fishing. Boat owners can do something else when there is no water, but salmon do not have the same choice.
Just before I left for vacation, one of my colleagues nearly lost his home when his brother accidentally started a fire mowing some dry grass. The flames quickly headed to the house and it was only the quick action of the local fire department that saved it. On my twenty mile commute home, there were at least two freeway fires, often caused by a stray cigarette out of the window. Many of these fires came within feet of homes.
As we flew over Lake Tahoe on our way home from a vacation in Maryland, the entire Central Valley of California was filled with ugly, grey smoke. To the far north, I could see just the tip of Mount Shasta peaking up through the haze, trying to take a deep breath. We could actually spot several fires actively burning as we approached the airport.
I have not been in the clinic for the last two weeks, but I know what kind of patients I will be seeing in the morning. I am sure that the asthmatics are already lining up at the door. Smoke is just one of the many irritants in a dry, agricultural valley that can trigger a life-threatening asthmatic attack.
Smoke rises. Since we live at a higher elevation than the Sacramento valley, it is now in my backyard. The smoke is so thick that I cannot see much beyond my own property. It blocks out the sun. The air smells of smoke. It is nearly impossible to do anything outside. I go out and check on the progress of my tomatoes from time to time. I suspect they will have that smoky taste, when or if they ever ripen.
I used to love the summers in California, even the heat. Now, I am terrified that a fire will destroy our home and lifelong possessions. All it takes is the random act of an idiot throwing a cigarette from a car window, or God trying to get me for writing certain things in my Blog.
I have done what I can to create a defensible space around my house in the event of a wild fire. I have cleared all of the down trees and underbrush. I have sprinklers everywhere. We even have an escape route and a list of irreplaceable items to snatch up during an evacuation.
It rained nearly every day when we were in Maryland. Oh, how I wish it would rain here from time to time, but there are many more dry months to go. We will need to wait until October or November before seeing the rain again.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: California fires, smoke, asthma
2 Comments:
It's could that people are trying to prevent your home from catching into flames. But, you cut and removed trees around the property which I think is not good. It's bad enough that we got global warming. But all the gases that we burn is causing a big hole in our ozone creating a greenhouse effect. Think about it, we cut down trees alot each year, leaving the ozone little to repair itself. That's probably another reason wildfires start, or someone throwing a cigarette butt out into the woods, or a campfire that you thought was out but wasn't.
Cutting a defensible space is a good idea. We can always plant more trees in areas that need them.
There are other home defending strategies that can be adopted--screening eves and home openings, fireproof cladding- tho I'm not an expert, as not that type of engineer.
Also there was an interesting article in the LA Times, I believe Aug. 3, on wildfire defense methods in Australian. While we may not take on their overall strategy, there may be some useful kernels in there.
Carl
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