CLASS #477: Politics, Yes, But Let’s Talk About Why The LA Fires Were Inevitable

The LA fires continue, and the political finger-pointing and deflection of blame has started. But before we fall into this trap, let’s step back, take a deep breath and try to look at this issue with some logical clarity.

The fires currently burning in southern California were inevitable, but the damage they are causing was not. However, this is a very complex issue, and there is much more to it than political ideology. Before we can solve the problems, we have to understand them.

The first thing we need to do is educate ourselves about the region in question. What is the geography, climate and ecology of the Los Angeles basin and how do they play into the issue of reoccurring fires?

Let’s get acquainted with the region in question and the issues facing the people who live there:

GENERAL

Los Angeles (Wikipedia)

Los Angeles (Britannica)

GEOGRAPHY

Landscape of Los Angeles (Britannica)

Los Angeles: Geography and Climate

CLIMATE

Climate of Los Angeles (Wikipedia)

Climate in Los Angeles (California)

Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Los Angeles

SANTA ANNA WINDS

Santa Ana Winds (Wikipedia)

Santa Ana Winds Explained (The Weather Channel — video)

What are Santa Ana winds and how are they fuelling LA wildfires? (BBC)

ECOLOGY

Chaparral (Wikipedia)

Chaparral (Britannica)

DROUGHT

Drought Is Only One Explanation for California’s Water Crisis

California’s Drought Is Part of a Much Bigger Water Crisis. Here’s What You Need to Know

California is in a water crisis, yet usage is way up. Officials are focused on the wrong problem, advocates say

RABBIT?

Why Does the NSA Want to Keep Its Water Usage a Secret?

Utah city ordered to provide water records for enormous NSA facility

Yes, data centers use a lot of water. But a Utah company shows it doesn’t have to be that way.

AGRICULTURE (and possibly corruption)

The Real Reason Almonds Are Destroying California

California Almond Water Usage: Updated

Water-indexed benefits and impacts of California almonds

Blaming Almonds for California’s Water Shortage is Just Nuts

Now, let’s continue to keep the politics on the back burner a while longer and look at the fires and how they are being fought. This story contains a good overview of why the fires have not been brought under control:

Why can’t California control the wildfires?

SOMETHING ELSE NO ONE HAS MENTIONED

Fire Storm (Britannica)

SOME SERIOUS VOICES EXPLAINING THE SAME THINGS

The following are some excellent videos, providing excellent information in rather short, compact clips of 8 to 15 minutes in length.

HOW (WHY) DID THE FIRES START?

WHY DID THE FIRE HYDRANTS FAIL?

TWO OTHER VERY GOOD OVER-VIEWS

HAMMER TIME!

Now for the blame game. I have seen and heard a lot of people saying we shouldn’t ‘politicize’ the LA Fires, but I have to ask, “Why?” Political ideology and agenda are largely responsible for the scope of the damage caused by these fires. The fires were inevitable, but there was much that could and should have been done to mitigate the damage when they came. But, rather than do what government is supposed to do, the people voted for politicians who are more focused on pushing a radical social agenda than doing the actual business of governing. With that said, here we go:

THESE FIRES WERE TOTALLY PREDICTABLE

Watch Joe Rogan Back in July Describing How a Firefighter Told Him a Fire Would Eventually Burn Through Los Angeles (VIDEO)

JUST THREE MONTHS AGO: Trump Talked About California’s Water Problem and Wildfires on the Joe Rogan Podcast (VIDEO)

CALIFORNIA HAS FAILED TO TAKE PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS

In Newsome’s own words (bragging about making things worse, not better):

Democrats Reach the ‘Republicans Pounce’ Phase of LA Wildfire Story

It all began in 2009 when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife deemed the longfin smelt to be “threatened” under the state’s Endangered Species Act.

The Infamous Delta Smelt Fish Has Not Been Seen in Nearly a Decade – California Allowed Its Cities to Burn to the Ground Over a Fish That They Can’t Even Find Anymore

WHAT CALIFORNIA SHOULD HAVE DONE

Company Monitoring LA Power Grid Releases Stunning Data Showing What Happened Just Before the Fires Started

Billion Dollar Power Company Investigated Over Aging Gear Possibly Fueling LA’s Wildfires

Why isn’t California using more prescribed burns to reduce fire risk?

How Red Tape Strangled California Forest Management Before LA Fires

How To Build a Fireproof Home

Can You Build a Fireproof Home?

Fire-Resistant Building Materials: 9 Ways to Build a the Most Fire-Resistant Home

WHAT CALIFORNIA SEEMS TO HAVE DONE

LA wildfires point to a long list of failures by California authorities

Newsom, Woke Policies, and Nonsensical Climate Strategies Exacerbated the California Fire Disaster