CA Wildfires
October 24th, 2007 . by adminCA wildfires have always spread quickly due to strong winds and dry air; perfect conditions for catastrophe.
In 2003, 3,600 homes were destroyed and 24 people died, 12 of them in San Diego alone, but yet firemen still were not completely prepared for the emergency in October of 2007 that grew faster than any had even imagined, spilling all the way down to Mexico.
The statistics with over 13 different focal points by the end of the night of the 23rd alone, millions of dollars in real estate destroyed, hundreds of thousands of acres turned to ashes in just a few days.
Yet with nothing even close to the death rates established in 2003, something can be said for the governments quick action, to take control of an emergency situation when it arises. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been tested during this crisis and so far is showing outstanding leadership skills.
Hurricane Katrina of 2005 in New Orleans prepared our homelands emergency evacuation forces for the worst threats this planet has to offer, now it is time for us, the citizens to take the Boyscout motto to heart; and be prepared!
Wildfires, like the ones that can spread in southern California between the months of April and October are something that our civilization provokes with the most simple of creature comforts; fire, and we should all be prepared for fire, living in a hot, dry and windy forest or in the cold damp winter, being prepared is essential.
If a single cigarette is left to fall upon a dry rug, on a hot day, from the hand of a snoring, lost soul, with a fan blowing around the room, and it is your children sleeping in the apartment next door, will you be content with losing everything?
Children playing with matches, far away from wandering eyes, in the pantry amongst dirty laundry or even worse, over a pair of oil and grease-soiled overalls with firecrackers in their hands, perhaps?
The causes that can unsettle a flame, sending it into motion, to consume without discipline, range as far as our civilizations technology does.
The more people inhabit California, the more wildfires will occur, the statistics alone are a direct indication of our ecological footprint, with a direct correlation between urbanization and an increase in the frequency of fires left out of control.
The houses that are burned to the ground in southern California and other areas prone to wildfires (with statistics dating as far back as 1991), in most all cases, have shown repeated indications that a lack of being prepared was the primary cause, case after case.
What does this tell us about prevention? Prevention starts at home. Is your home prepared for a fire emergency? Are your children aware of the dangers that fire can bring? Do the neighbors readily encourage safety measures where their gardens are concerned?
Is the home you live in built from a flame-resistant material? Do you keep an eye on your landscaping (reducing or keeping burn-fuel away from the home) or lawn? Does the layout include a firebreak or does the home even have firefighting equipment to begin with?
In public and office buildings that find themselves located in a potential fire hazardous zone, many precautions are taken to preserve the integrity of the structures, including simple things, like grazing, to keep the underbrush to a halt.
Grazing in fact is one of the major reasons rural areas are less effected, due to the constant control of fuel, where as in many urban areas, the wilderness can be left to build up its fuel supply for years, creating excellent conditions for a wildfire.
We must teach our children, our neighbors, ourselves; we must build our homes in a more fire retardant way, our landscapes, our gardens and most of all, we must have the necessary tools on hand and in working order, if the time comes to use them.
The sudden wildfires of Southern California can be prevented, and it takes both awareness and planning to prevent them.
CA wildfires can be controlled, if only our civilization learns to control itself and be prepared to ensure a more beautiful tomorrow, starting right now, with you.
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