So I guess the hypothesis by CNN's Anderson Cooper that "global warming" was the cause of the fires, is crap, huh? Some people will blame "global warming" for everything.
Anderson Cooper thought it was global warming, Fox News suggested Al Qaeda set the fires. The two almost cancel each other out, don't they?
.the TV said they already talked to the 'suspect' and it was a very small area in the desert and had nothing to do with the 'forest' fires - did anybody else see that report -
Yeah, the "media" should all burn in Hell....or California.
pdx- LaTimes.com has an article concerning both "suspects." They did note that they don't know if the Hesperia man was involved in any other fires. One was started by a downed power line, if I recall correctly.
Was the motive domestic terrorism, or pyromania? Could it be due to stupidity instead? My prayers are will all of the people in the paths of the fires, the firefighters, the pets, livestock, wildlife, and anyone who has to breath that smoke. I hope the fires are brought under control soon!
...Soobs - I guess there is actually an arsonist they are looking for cuz Fox just said they are offering a 70K reward for the arsonist - it is 5pm here in Oregon -
Not ALL the fires are from arson. I think it was just one of them. There are a lot of fires going on right now. The perfect storm. No rain in sight.
I was talking to a friend of mine who works out of one of our Orange County offices and she was talking about the smoke. She was saying that despite the orange glow all over the place it looks like its 6pm all day long its so dark.
yeah melissa - the cbs news on the internet says the FBI is stating that the Santiago Canyon fire is being officially declared an arson and is offering 50K reward - the FBI said 2 separate "points of origin" where they believe the fire was set - too bad the media can't get together on the same page - different stories everywhere !!!
I think what is being reported are two different arson incidents. And what's sad is, I don't think the media realizes that. I'm a bit miffed at the local SD media at the moment. They are focused on basically three fires and haven't even touched on the other six or seven in their area. I am really concerned about the fires on Camp Pendleton near the San Onofre Nuclear Reactor. I'm sure the reactor is safe, I hope, But if those power lines burn up then that's going to be a big mess. Last report from a local poster on WS is the fire on CP is raging and evacuations are in effect.I have a stepdaughter and her family in Oceanside, and her husband is a marine a Camp Pendleton.
Around 1980 I lived in the SF Valley when they had the Halloween fire. An arsonist went around to every canyon surrounding the valley and lit a fire. The destruction was massive and horrible. I hope they catch the latest one.
re: arsonists. I swear I heard Brian Williams say tonight that a suspected arsonist had been shot and "killed" in San Bernardino.
I lived in Cali throughout the 80s and saw many a fire . . . nothing like this. Although a very good friend lost everything in the Oakland hills fire . . . devastating . . . the magnitude of these fires is unbelievable, apocalyptic.
And, it appears, a few pyromaniacs are intent on the damage and devastation being more extensive.
Criminal . . . and, depressing.
Andie
Yeah, this is a firebugs dream. Unfortunately there a bunch of firebugs out there.
Who knows who is starting what at this point to either a) hide something else they did, or b) think that this is actually cool.
There was a report out a couple of months ago that terrorists were considering using fire to terrorize the US. I'm not saying that this is what this is, just that if it had been the route the terrorists took for their next attack it's an effective method.
I've lived through many a hurricane and was talking with a friend today saying that I'd much rather have to come home after a hurricane than something like this. Water and wind are a lot easier to deal with. Fire destroys not just homes and belongings, but the landscape is destroyed for decades. Plus, hurricanes last a day or two, this has been going on for almost a week. It's crazy.
I feel for all of the people who are displaced and who have literally nothing but ash to come home to. So sad.
Just wondering if anyone knows if Dennis Potts (Tori and Dean murder suspect) lives anywhere near the fires?
Anderson Cooper and Fox News said what???
San Diego Zoo is safe. Their perimeter was damaged.
THANKS STEVE FOR POSTING THAT AWESOME LINK TO MONITOR THE FIRES.
It is extremely helpful to me to have some sort of visual representation of where the fires are in relation to cities and roads.
I thought the Santa Ana winds was the (usual) culprit in the fires getting out of hand, that and wet spring and dry summer that produced a lot of kindling & tender-style underbrush.
Arsonists may have started the fires, but the extremely dry conditions from the drought that Southern Cal's been under for the last several years, combined with the wind conditions, are what's making these fires as bad as they are. I didn't see the Anderson Cooper report, but that may have been what he was referring to -- the drought situation in this country is widespread & at critical stages. Look at what's happening in Georgia, for example.
While I avoid Fox News, I can also understand the "terrorist" idea; the Fox hypothesis and CNN's aren't mutually exclusive. I mean, look at the situation. Big, flashy, highly destructive fire on the West Coast near LA, with lots of awful images -- talk about guaranteed to hit national news, and something that fits in a terrorist M.O.! You don't hear about the wildfires in other areas of the country, that's for sure.
I am still under the understanding that not ALL the fires (there are a lot) are arson. A couple of the worst of them are.
Talked to my friend in Costa Mesa again today. She sounds like she has smoked 4 packs of cigs in a day.
It seems there was a memo concerning terrorism and fires out west, back in 2003. Also, Melissa, I don't believe they are saying ALL the fires were arson, but a few of them were.
Back in the day, they used to burn off the underbrush of forrests to avoid situations like this. But now forrest areas are protected from human interference.
I'm not aware if this would have helped in this situation, but it made me wonder. Someone closer and more familiar may be able to lend some expertise.
Terrible situation. I pray for rain, and peace to the winds.
Some past arson wildfires were started by people wanting work fighing the wildfire. I'll bet something like this would be a boon for unlicensed contractors to swoop in and repair partialy damaged houses, or just rip people off by collecting deposits for construction.
Other man-caused fires have been caused by reckless burning, but that's not really intentional arson.
There's not very many things that cause fires naturally, outside of lightning strikes. High winds can knock down power lines that arc out, or the sun shining on a piece of broken glass can start a fire. Driving a vehicle through tall grass can start a fire.
Two months ago, southern Greece suffered the worst wild fires in decades. Gale force winds and dry conditions fanned 100's of wildfires and in a 3 or 4 day period at the end of August more than 50 people were killed. I remember there was speculation that terrorists were involved in that too, but I don't think anything developed. I think they caught a couple of nut-case firebugs and a few for unintentional reckless burning.
Now that I think about it, on the morning that the space shuttle Columbia burned up on re-entry, there was some brief speculation on Faux News that terrorists were behind that disaster too. At least they haven't blamed hurricans and earthquakes on the terrorists yet.
Mike, if terrorist had access to the government's secret weather control project, otherwise known as HAARP, I am sure they would then be blamed for hurricanes as well.
Johnny Cash, of all people, accidentally burned up a big chunk of national forest at one point while he was drunk. That, and his brotehr dying in a sawmill acident, was one of those things he was in perpetual penance over.
OMG, how sad 
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21553786/
"Police: Boy started Calif. blaze
Officials: Child accidentally lit Buckweed Fire while playing with matches
MSNBC staff and news service reports – updated 9:36 p.m. MT, Tues., Oct. 30, 2007
A boy admitted to starting one of more than a dozen wildfires that ravaged Southern California last week, state detectives said Tuesday night.
The child admitted to playing with matches Oct. 21 and accidentally starting the Buckweed Fire, Los Angeles County sheriffs said. Officials have released the boy to his parents.
The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for further action, officials said.
The blaze, located in Agua Dulce, injured four people, destroyed at least 63 structures — including 15 homes — and burned more than 38,000 acres, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported on its Web site.
Officials evacuated more than 15,000 people at one point because of the Buckweed Fire, and the state spent at least $7.4 million to fully contain that blaze . . ."
[Note: Partial cut/paste. For full article, click on the link.]
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