CA Fires- Los Angeles County

[Rolvix]

I'm vibing for ya (no wait, that sounds bad in some way! lol)

Hope you keep safe!

Why do you think CA has so many fires? Is it the underbrush laws or what have you that leads to this? Or is it just luck of the draw, a fluke, or something else beyond mans control?

I feel like every time I read about a fire in CA, or out west for that matter, it's a result of a careless passer-by throwing a still-lit cigarette butt out of a car window, or a lightning tree strike during a really dry period of time. I'm sure there are plenty of other causes, and I'm sure the Californians know much more than I do about them.

They do have a pretty good amount of trees, underbrush, and forests though.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Mt. Wilson webcam

They need more antennas.

They are getting harder to see due to smoke. It appears they may have stopped updating the pictures - it still shows the 9:53 shot even when I refresh the screen.

Sue, I hope things are staying far from you. Hope they can get containment of the fire soon.

I read that all of those antennas are for tv and radio. So if the mountain goes up, does California go into a media blackout? I would assume they would for at least some people.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm vibing for ya (no wait, that sounds bad in some way! lol)

Hope you keep safe!

Why do you think CA has so many fires? Is it the underbrush laws or what have you that leads to this? Or is it just luck of the draw, a fluke, or something else beyond mans control?

One of the things that impressed me when I was in San Francisco was how much dry brush there is on the hillsides. It obviously would have taken very little effort to start a blaze. While the family shopped at Target, I walked the nearby hillside looking for a good vantage point for some photos. I was wearing sandals, and it was like walking through a cactus patch the grass was so dry. Needless to say I didn't go very far. Not because my feet were being poked, but because I just knew there was a rattlesnake waiting to see my big toe before I saw the snake. (The dry grass is very thick..more fuel to the fire)

[Sue71]

Ok, so let me post a few general responses here:

1. The antennae (antennas?) that you see are mostly tv & radio. Some radio stations will go out temporarily, but they have contingency plans in place so downtime should be minimal. TV shouldn't be affected if you have cable or satellite, but over the air tv will probably be lost. There are also cell towers there, so that could get interesting (read: I don't have a home phone- cell only). Emergency communications should only be impacted minimally.

2. SoCal is in a wicked, wicked drought. Has been for a long time. So add the drought to the high temperatures = really dry & brittle vegetation. And with the mountains having oh, so many trees, there's a lot of fuel for the fire. Also, as I understand it, it's been decades (40yrs? 60yrs?) since a fire's come through this particular area, hence even more fuel available.

3. How did it start? No clue on this one. Campfire, cigarette, lightening, pot farm (yes that was the start of a recent fire)... dont' know yet. Let's put it out then worry about how it started.

Pasadena smells like a giant bbq pit (did I mention that already)? Smoke is hindering visibility. It's scary.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Pasadena smells like a giant bbq pit (did I mention that already)? Smoke is hindering visibility. It's scary.

Above all else, PLEASE keep yourself and Chloe safe.

[Sue71]

Air Quality Map

[TillyGalore]

Pasadena smells like a giant bbq pit (did I mention that already)? Smoke is hindering visibility. It's scary.

Above all else, PLEASE keep yourself and Chloe safe.

Ditto. Not sure if you have asthma, thus not sure how badly this will effect your breathing. Do please be careful, and if you can, go where the air quality is better, if that's possible and still be on SoCal.

[Miles]

Sue, I remember the fires right before I moved to LA. My duplex was out in the country surrounded by three fires that formed a little horseshoe shape and started blowing west with my place right in the middle. We were under a voluntary evacuation so Chez and I grabbed the cats, his flat screen and bunch of his collectable crap and drove north to Lake Elsinore. I dropped him off and then continued to LA. It was just a horrible experience.

I feel for you. I wish you and Chloe and the very best and that things can return to normal soon. Vibes.

[CathyCA]

Ok, so let me post a few general responses here:

1. The antennae (antennas?) that you see are mostly tv & radio. Some radio stations will go out temporarily, but they have contingency plans in place so downtime should be minimal. TV shouldn't be affected if you have cable or satellite, but over the air tv will probably be lost. There are also cell towers there, so that could get interesting (read: I don't have a home phone- cell only). Emergency communications should only be impacted minimally.

2. SoCal is in a wicked, wicked drought. Has been for a long time. So add the drought to the high temperatures = really dry & brittle vegetation. And with the mountains having oh, so many trees, there's a lot of fuel for the fire. Also, as I understand it, it's been decades (40yrs? 60yrs?) since a fire's come through this particular area, hence even more fuel available.

3. How did it start? No clue on this one. Campfire, cigarette, lightening, pot farm (yes that was the start of a recent fire)... dont' know yet. Let's put it out then worry about how it started.

Pasadena smells like a giant bbq pit (did I mention that already)? Smoke is hindering visibility. It's scary.

Let me add to what Sue has posted here. I was amazed when I moved to California that it never rains in California, except in the winter. (The lyrics to the song tell us "it never rains in Southern California," but it never rains in Northern California, either.) The vegetation is like a tinder box, ready to explode into flames when the smallest spark hits. A drought in California is even more severe than a "drought" on the east coast.

[captmojo]

Isn't there also an abundance of underbrush? Also, fear that if the underbrush is eliminated, it will result in landslides?

[Sue71]

Isn't there also an abundance of underbrush? Also, fear that if the underbrush is eliminated, it will result in landslides?

Yes, this is true in many areas. Hence the disasters of the winter rains: mudslides.

[Sue71]

Here's a good slideshow, from the Sacramento Bee, of all places.

[DukieInKansas]

Very impressive pictures - scary, sad, heroic. Fire scares me.

Keep safe, Sue and Chloe.

[Sue71]

Here's a post from KABC regarding their tower.

[TillyGalore]

Here's a post from KABC regarding their tower.

I thought we no longer could use air antenna's. Isn't that the whole FCC thing that occured in June when all signals went digital. I have to be missing something here. Will someone please help me understand?

Thanks!!

[CameronBornAndBred]

Here's a post from KABC regarding their tower.

I thought we no longer could use air antenna's. Isn't that the whole FCC thing that occured in June when all signals went digital. I have to be missing something here. Will someone please help me understand?

Thanks!!

They transmit a digital signal.

[TillyGalore]

Here's a post from KABC regarding their tower.

I thought we no longer could use air antenna's. Isn't that the whole FCC thing that occured in June when all signals went digital. I have to be missing something here. Will someone please help me understand?

Thanks!!

They transmit a digital signal.

If signals are transmitted digitally, why would KABC note that people who "receive ABC7 by off air antenna...could lose [their] signal"?

[Sue71]

A mirror link to the Observatory's webcam so that you can view what's going on there.


From the standard webcam page (which is terribly jammed w/ traffic- that's why it's down so much...):

Note: the large amount of new smoke seen is due to backfires set by firefighters. This is the very best thing to do at the moment. Go California firefighters!
For recent fire updates, go here

[TillyGalore]

A mirror link to the Observatory's webcam so that you can view what's going on there.


From the standard webcam page (which is terribly jammed w/ traffic- that's why it's down so much...):

Note: the large amount of new smoke seen is due to backfires set by firefighters. This is the very best thing to do at the moment. Go California firefighters!
For recent fire updates, go here

Someone needs to tell them that today is Tuesday, 1 Sep 09. Bless their hearts.

[Sue71]

Hey CTN peeps, do you mind if I link this thread for some friends on Facebook?