The West Coast fires: I am hearing a lot of reasons for them

[DonaldsRump]

Climate change for sure, but, it seems to me, that there are two more immediate reasons as to why these have spread so quickly:

* Trump's total failure to support CA, OR, and WA in any of their efforts to contain the fires.
* A lack of sufficient firefighting personnel because of COVID-19.

Am I correct? If so, both of these are directly attributable to Trump.

(oh, and I forgot: at least one of the current fires is arson-related...have they caught the perpetrator?)

I'd like to hear some thoughts. I have a RW friend (but luckily not an RWNJ) who says that the fires are a result of not clearing out the trees and the undergrowth, effectively blaming it on the states.

[Vinca]

1. Tell your RW friends that half of the stuff on fire is federal land and if anyone should be clearing

the trees and undergrowth it's the U.S. government under Trump's watch. Trump puts the blame for everything from Covid to these fires on the states when the nightmare is because of his negligence and total inability to do his job. The underlying problem is the climate. This is what happens when it doesn't rain for a long, long time. There have always been forest fires, but nothing like the magnitude we're now seeing.

[FBaggins]

2. The second seems unlikely. The first should be easy to check

There have been 400k cases of COVID identified in California and almost 15k deaths. Those certainly are large numbers, but they're still a small percentage of the population of the state. And, of course, the significant cases lean toward the older and/or less-healthy individuals (not descriptors of your average hotshot firefighter. And the job doesn't line up well with greater risk of catching the virus.

Statistically... it's unlikely that a significant number of them are unable to work due to COVID.

The first theory is certainly more plausible, but also easy to evaluate. Are you aware of federal support that has been requested or has been offered in the past that is being withheld?

[DonaldsRump]

4. A lot of the firefighters were prisoners

COVID-19 has limited that.

Coincidentally, here's an article that came out today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2020/09/11/california-gov-gavin-newsom-signed-bill-give-prisoners-shot-becoming-firefighters-after-release/5775119002/

[brewens]

3. The forests aren't being raked like the Finn's do. Remember that one? We could have bought a

shitload of rakes for what Trump flushed into the DOD cesspool.

[exoskeleton]

5. Perfect Storm

As much as I would like to blame Dear Leader for this, I think a changing climate and the conditions on the ground made it happen. We had smaller fires burning on the East slope of the Cascades in very difficult terrain. We got 50+ MPH winds out of the East for 3 days. (That is unusual, they usually funnel down the Columbia River Gorge.) They pushed the fire over the top and into the valley to the west. The West slope of the Cascades acts as sort of a rain curtain and the vegetation is lush. It has been a dry, hot summer and everything was ready to burn. It really sucks for the people who had their homes and lives there.

When the fires are more than double the size of an average fire season occurring in a week, you know that resources are not going to be enough. All of the firefighters from local to federal are giving it 100% but with the smoke being so thick air resources are grounded.

There might be idiots out there starting fires but I doubt it. There are assholes out there trying to break in to houses that have been evacuated. They run a risk of being shot.

[Trailrider1951]

9. What you say is mostly true

The high winds were THE contributing factor for the west-of-Cascades fires in my neighborhood, Sumner- Bonney Lake and Graham. The wind blew down trees onto power lines, which sparked the fires, and then spread the fire to the dry underbrush in the area. If you go to a place like Federation Forest State Park (between Enumclaw and Chinook Pass), you will see blow downs from windstorms past. Most of the trees here are conifers (spruce, fir, hemlock, etc.), and they lack a taproot, which most deciduous trees have. This makes the conifers particularly susceptible to high winds. Couple that with high winds, lots of power lines and very unusual dry conditions, and you have the recipe for the disaster we saw Tuesday through today.

As far as idiots setting fires, two were caught and jailed here in Pierce county, like this asshole:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/high-bail-suspect-who-live-streamed-fire-he-allegedly-set/PJLNIRQMFZAG5OBTVST67I3YIE/

Rain is forecast for next week. I only hope it is enough to alleviate the fire danger here.

[Claire Oh Nette]

6. Can't pin this on Drump...

But we can pin theabsolute lack of urgent federal response on him.

Fire tornadoes.
120 in Southeast LA county.
Heat lightening.

Someone here posted a video clip of a fire tornado. Scariest thing I've seen in a ling time, and Pepperdine burned in Malibu canyon fires when I was a freshman there. Very health respect for fire.

These fires are cyclical, but the ferocity is pretty clear evidence that our climate is changing, and we are headed for climate migration if we don't pull together as a nation to mitigate.

No, not a result of not raking forests. Besides, much of the fire is on federal lands in California, so that's on Trump....

Everything is not partisan. The RWNJ want all bad laid at the feet of Democrats, just like CHristianists thank Jeebus for the good, and dismiss any negative outcome as God's will.

[WhiteTara]

7. the land burning is National Forest land

and the U.S. has responsibility.

[former9thward]

8. There is plenty of state land burning also.

And if federal land burns it was the responsibility of whoever was President at the time?

[orwell]

10. Massive unseasonal freak dry lightning storm...

...with high heat in windy dry conditions.

Very high winds that shift rapidly.

Extremely dry conditions due to years of drought.

Massive amount of dead trees throughout our state (CA) from a beetle infestation due to drought.

Record high temperatures.

So yeah...climate change...

It's an "inconvenient truth"...

[Baclava]

11. They caught a pyro, 'Man arrested, charged with arson in connection with southern Oregon fire'

A Southern Oregon man is accused of arson in connection with a fire that has caused major damage to several towns in Jackson County.

Michael Jarrod Bakkela, 41, has arrested on two counts of arson, 15 counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of reckless endangerment.

Bakkela was arrested and initially lodged in the Jackson County Jail on a charge of possession of methamphetamine. He remains in jail on the arson and criminal mischief charges.

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/09/man-arrested-charged-with-arson-in-connection-with-southern-oregon-fire.html

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I saw one fire scientist that said 84% of all wildfires are caused by humans

Welcome to hell

[CreekDog]

12. years of dry and warmer weather stressed trees and led to a massive bark beetle infestation

dead and dying trees cause hotter and more intense fires.

with global warming, it's important to realize that extra heating causes more evapotranspiration from the soil and from trees and vegetation, so even if you have the normal amount of rain, vegetation gets drier but there have been droughts in recent years.

and yes, we had a rare lightning storm that set off numerous fires last month that are still smoldering.

[Raine]

13. Massive over development, too any people and

deteriorating infrastructure in many areas here in California are a big part of the problem, IMO.