The fires in California

[herpastcanchangethefuture]

Is anyone else watching in disbelief? It just so awful to see so many people lose their home and I keep thinking about all the animals who would have been terrified and trapped too. I was watching the news on it last night and people were saying their insurance companies had recently revoked their insurance so they won’t be covered.

It’s just awful.

We have elderly relatives caught up in this. They are professionals who've worked all their lives in middle class jobs - the wife was a long term elementary school teacher in some very poor and needy areas where I'm pretty sure she did a lot of good.
They may have high net worth on paper but they live in a suburban 3 bed house with a small garden and they do not have the money to buy a whole new house or to rebuild.
I imagine they will be going into sheltered accommodation after this, rents are sky high in the area, the younger generations didn't live in this area but have been struggling to make their own rent. They aren't exactly on the streets (though because of housing costs there are so many sleeping rough in LA) but it's also not how they planned to spend their twilight years.
We were just glad to hear they were safe yesterday. Have some compassion.

Whilst im not hopping arpund with glee at the wealthy celwbrities misfortune my main sympathies are with the animals, domesticated and wild, the people who don't have resources to rebuild and anyone suffering from the poor air quality, it must be horrendous.
I've long thought the californian coast line needs to slip into the Pacific.

That is heartbreaking.

People are scared
They want to think they are safe from climate change
So they find reasons to make themselves not like those who are suffering
It's a form of head in the sand

It's no less awful just because a lot of the impacted are rich.

It’s horrible

It's terrible to watch. I suspect that so many areas of the world will become uninhabitable.

I think that extends to our country too - large areas of city centres (Manchester?) will be un-insurable due to flood risks. It's only a matter of time.

The celebrity lists are not what I’m thinking about, more the average person who lacks similar resources but it’s more the scale of the fires and startling footage. Although bad for everyone of course

Remember similar in Australia a few years back and the coverage over here.

I can't believe people think it's just a few super rich people affected.

They might make the easy headlines but his is vast swathes of a city. Businesses too which provided ordinary people with jobs. State schools . Normal houses.

its fascinating in this day and age the lack of empathy for people if they have high net wealth - like the death of their pet is ok and less traumatic to them then others because they have money

Yep - I was checking the location of my relatives' home on a map and there are two public schools within a couple of blocks.

I’m sure there’ll be an awful lot of non super rich being affected by this. The scale of the destruction is mind blowing- will there be much left of the entire city if this continues to spread? Just watched a video of the flames around a burning McDonalds- it looks almost like a hurricane. Horrendous for anyone caught up in this, wealthy or not.

Why so sneery?

Losing ones home in a fire is devastating however much it cost

My friends home has burnt down, he was in the forces and now works as a PT, his husband works as a graphic designer, they don’t have a high net wealth at all.

Kindly the fire started in someone's back garden, it wasn't climate related

I am not a climate denier by the way, just for frost electric car. Do more than my bit

‘Meh’

Meh is pretty poor as a response. Surely you’d not think that if it was local to you.

The reason the fire started may not have been

But the reason the fire spread so rapidly absolutely is due to climate change. Noone is disputing that.

Fires have always started and always will, it is how rapidly they spread out of control that is changing.

On R4 yesterday there was a discussion saying these fires have been exacerbated because the previous season had been extremely rainy, which led to plants and trees putting on a huge amount of growth, which provides even more fuel for fire.
Also as pp said, areas of scrub which provide a natural firebreak have been developed in recent years, the development itself provides extra fuel as do gardens which are full of plants.

A good friend of mine evacuated yesterday with her husband and three small children. She messaged me a video she had taken of the fire from her window shortly before they left. They had to take their most important possessions in suitcases, knowing everything else may be destroyed. They are now safe but I’m waiting to hear from her today to find out if her house is gone (I think it probably is). I’m so upset for her.

Will keep happening for all of our lifetimes, I'm afraid.

Can someone explain how scrub can act as a firebreak?
Surely if it's tinder dry due to not having any rain for god knows how long, would that not work as an accelerant?

I think @lljkk may be a troll as it’s hard to understand such an ill informed and unkind post. Not everyone caught up in the fires is rich. My friend who has now probably lost everything is middle class, a normal person and she doesn’t live a lavish lifestyle. They bought their house fairly recently. These fires are like nothing ever seen before in California due to their suburban location, coupled with speed and reach. Of course anyone following this story would know that as the facts are clearly stated.

Can you imagine how it would feel to have to pack up your most prized belongings while your kids are asleep in their beds, knowing the fire is coming closer and you may lose everything that is left? And then think about doing this with little children- nursery to early primary age… and not knowing where you will live when your home is gone..

It would take some serious sociopath tendencies not to have any sympathy for this.

A firebreak is an area that is clear of vegetation so just dirt. But the sounds of it these were overgrown and not cut back

Yes, DH’s cousin lives there, in Beverly Hills. Fortunately they have a house further away, in the desert. His wife has taken the DC and pets there and we had a message from him this morning saying he is fine.

It’s heartbreaking seeing the devastation.

Why is it @okydokethen that you are so disappointed in your life that you dismiss the suffering of fellow humans ? What a horrible response to a tragedy