To not want to hear any more about the Californian fires

[Viviennemary]

For a start I do feel a lot of sympathy for folk who have lost everything in those fires. But what is the point of telling us night after night about the devastation these fires are causing, we can't do anything about it nobody can. And America is a rich country and can afford to rebuild. Unlike Gaza where folk have been left with nothing, and hardly had much in the first place.

I wouldn’t think you unreasonable if you had the same passion and energy for all other children in conflict zones. But I’m pretty certain that’s not the case.

I mean LA is burning… It’s kinda big news!

The fires in California show that no-one however affluent can be protected from the effects of climate change.
if we don’t do something NOW deaths and suffering caused by climate change will dwarf the impacts of any wars.

Not everyone whose property has burnt so they have lost everything are rich, the majority are bog standard mom and pops like us, who have now lost everything. Insurance is unlikely to pay out, lots of stories that insurance hasn’t been renewed by insurance companies,

It doesn’t help that arsonists are supposed to have started at least one of the fires.

Be the bigger person and show some sympathy, however if you are sick of it stop watching the news

How ignorant. They're not all 'rich people' who have lost their homes.

Plus all the animals and wildlife....

YABVVVU. This is MASSIVE news, and the fires are utterly devastating. What a rotten thread to post!

Every single night on the news for the past year and a half (virtually,) we have had news bulletins and film footage about the Israel/Palestine war. Sometimes 15-20 minute bulletins. Previously it was Syria. Again, 20 minute bulletins some nights, but it was always mentioned. And before that, (and during that,) conflict from Afghanistan, and other middle eastern countries. One after another, year after year. ALWAYS featured on the news.

Many things going on all over the world, disaster, war, and famine, but we are always fed news from the Middle East. They always show us Middle East unrest. It has more coverage than anything. Many people I know have compassion fatigue now when it comes to the middle east problems, because news about unrest in the middle east (and how people are suffering there) is rammed down our throats daily, year after year.

So now we are seeing news coverage from somewhere else for a change (Los Angeles!) And this is huge devastating news - and I do feel really sorry for people suffering there. Seriously, why would the news programmes NOT cover it?! And continue to do so! It is still happening!

.

There is an underlying issue with these fires beyond the devastation they are causing to both people and wildlife - the consistent defunding of the fire services, the water being privately owned by a married couple, fire hydrants not being filled and so on has enabled this situation.

Nor is it just “rich people” who are suffering. Pacific Palisades, which appears to have been completely destroyed by the fires, has a population of around 25,000 I believe. That is effectively a whole town, turned to ash. Not everyone who lives there will be rich and able to just start again.

It isn't helpful to make comparisons because each disaster is a huge one to those involved.

I can remember dreadful fires in Australia a couple of years back. They will always happen, always have happened, all we can hope is that people/experts find better ways of preventing them from spreading.

Seeing it all on the news is anxiety-inducing but you can switch it off or go and make a cup of tea.

The Red Cross can always do with donations and they are neutral, help everyone anywhere, which is something I very much like about them.

America is a rich country but not everyone in it is rich, far from it, and repairing lives and homes after such a disaster is an expensive, difficult business apart from any psychological or physical trauma. I think any free emergency service, practical, medical or rescue, is worth supporting at such times and they are glad of whatever people can afford to give.

I have reported this thread. I despair at Mumsnet atm.

I despair sometimes.

Huge wildfires in January, in the northern hemisphere, which cannot be contained.

Nope, nothing to see here!

It's lucky that the next natural disaster is just around the corner. Got to keep your interest fresh and all that...

Totally agree, once or twice to hear about it should be enough, there is plenty more going on in the world

I’m hoping that now celebrities have been personally affected, there might be more voices speaking up in support for those among us who are taking the climate breakdown seriously. Scientists are predicting an increase in wild fires (among a whole load of other catastrophes) if we continue as we are and don’t reduce our carbon output. It’s terrible to think fires like these might be more regular occurrences in our children’s lives

It’s very sad and I can see what it’s being reported on. But I still can’t help but think of the parallels with other parts of the world that are burning and bombed, but it feels like they have not taken up half the space in the media.

When a bunch of celebrities are affected it feels like it’s suddenly all we hear about, like they are deemed more worthy somehow. I feel desperately sad for anyone who has lost their home, particularly those who cannot afford to rebuild. But I feel sadder for those who have been forcibly removed from their homes and unlikely to ever be able to go back to their home country.

We have heard almost nothing about the regular people who don't have other homes to decamp to in another part of the country or even the world, with private jets standing by to take them there. I wonder if those Karkrash people were in the jams trying to escape, Don't you know who I am??

As far as TV coverage is concerned, it looks very dramatic, like a disaster film without the CGI, hence it's being covered, it even had its own programme on the BBC last night.

Disasters only get this much reporting if they affect white people.

Heard much about Cyclone Chido?

No, of course not.

Literally said this today. Nobody seems to care about Gaza and that is likely to affect our society more in the future if history is anything to go by.

As far as TV coverage is concerned, it looks very dramatic, like a disaster film without the CGI

Defo this is a part of it.

This exactly. Horrible, ill-informed thread. Just hideous!

YANBU

I can’t bring myself to care about it at all, unfortunately. I know that’s mean.

People will have insurance. These celebrities and rich people know how prone this area is to wildfire, but chose to live there anyway because they want to be in a high-status area.

I’m sure they’ll all move straight back there into even bigger mansions when
they’re rebuilt.

Did you read about the father who refused to leave his house until the ambulance arrived for his disabled son

ambulance couldn’t get there so both father and son died

but yeah let’s talk about celebrities losing their homes

it’s all pretty bad for anyone there rich or poor they

I’m more frustrated that they aren’t addressing the cause of the fires. Just endless euphemistic talk about “climate change” and weather events 🤨

I think what these fires are telling us about climate change is very worrying indeed for our future, actually.

What is happening in Gaza is not more or less important, they are different issues entirely. Gaza is a humanitarian issue, the California wildfires a climate issue.