For any of our members (and their loved ones) who are affected by the fires raging in CA, please know that I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

If you need anything just let me know.

Love ~ Meg

Lets all pray for a big rain!!

Lets all pray for a big rain!!

AMEN!

That's exactly what they need but, sadly, probably the last thing they're going to get. Wind and heat are expected to continue in that region... there is a mind-boggling number of people forced to evacuate and then I think of all of the animals (wild and domesticated) who will fall victim to the fire. :(

California must be a truly wonderful place to live for folks there to endure the yearly fire season, earthquakes and Paris Hilton.

This fire season is proving even more horrific. Is this just a fluke or is this a sign of the times?

California must be a truly wonderful place to live for folks there to endure the yearly fire season, earthquakes and Paris Hilton.

This fire season is proving even more horrific. Is this just a fluke or is this a sign of the times?

Not to mention the traffic, pollution, and OUTRAGEOUS cost of living! :p

CA is truly a place to visit and not to live ~ just like NYC as I learned the hard way.

(Although Dean warns me that he might move us to the CA coast before we head overseas... good grief!)

Unfortunately wild fires are part of the natural cycle...
but since the "wild" is not anymore, too much fuel (lots of brush because of fire prevention, million dollar tinder boxes, severe drought whether natural or manmade maybe a little of both) has led to super wild fires.
The forest service is beginning to realize that their policies that they have followed over the last several decades in an attempt to "save the forest" might actually be causing more harm than good. Originally wild fires would burn "cool" and small, only burning up small brush not the large trees. These fires would allow new trees to take hold and receive more sunlight because of less ground cover. With the extra brush, and very dry from drought, the wild fires are now burning hotter and higher taking everything in its path.
PBS has had some interesting shows about this very topic.

Have you seen the satilite shots from NASA?

Here's the link (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=11799)

Not to mention the traffic, pollution, and OUTRAGEOUS cost of living! :p

CA is truly a place to visit and not to live ~ just like NYC as I learned the hard way.

(Although Dean warns me that he might move us to the CA coast before we head overseas... good grief!)

Totally agree about NYC....never lived there but visited enough to have the same feelings....great to visit, horrible to live there.

Have you seen the satilite shots from NASA?

Here's the link (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=11799)

Terrifying and amazing...

Totally agree about NYC....never lived there but visited enough to have the same feelings....great to visit, horrible to live there.

As as a teen, I lived in Manhattan and then later in Brooklyn. Quite an experience, but one that I'd never want to repeat! :p

(I was so happy when my big sis and her family moved out of the city to sleepy little Chappaqua... the change was like night and day, and they're in a great place to raise their rugrats. :))

Truly devastating. If these fires are recurring, are they typically triggered by lightning?

The folks involved here must feel totally powerless. Like watching the advance of lava. All you can do is get out of harm's way.

Truly devastating. If these fires are recurring, are they typically triggered by lightning?

The folks involved here must feel totally powerless. Like watching the advance of lava. All you can do is get out of harm's way.

The firefighters are also devastated - I heard one remark this morning that they will be in the process of saving one house while the one next door is burning to the ground... could you imagine?! :(

..but they were from the 2003 fires just for the record. (they are date stamped)

Cool nonetheless!

..but they were from the 2003 fires just for the record. (they are date stamped)


http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14579&src=map

10/22/07 .......

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14579&src=map

10/22/07 .......

Those ARE yesterdays, but as God as my witness, the link showed Oct 2003.

I am surely getting old and senile (it does have it's advantages, BTW) but they were 2003 pics.

Funny..the updated ones look 'bout the same, huh? Maybe the 03 shot looks to be a tad bit smokier..

The original link is to the 2003 fires. The new link is to the 2007.

On WLS radio in Chicago, they were interviewing someone "in the know" and said in San Diego county along, they were upping the evacuations to over 500,000--yes, that's right--500,000 people.

Give me the crappy NW Indiana weather--anytime!

Truly devastating. If these fires are recurring, are they typically triggered by lightning?

The folks involved here must feel totally powerless. Like watching the advance of lava. All you can do is get out of harm's way.

Word is, at least one of the fires...the Harris fire was started by Illegal Aliens' Illegal campfires lit while Illegally crossing the border...

Little birdie told me.

I heard it was a kid burning ants with a magnifying glass.

Nope... got a bootleg photo snapped by a journalist who witnessed the source and has a positive ID of the perp:

http://infinitecoolness.com/galleries/firestarter/tn_firestarterwp02.jpg

so you guys finally get a fire worth reporting on heh

we had 25% of victoria buring last summer - 300k fire front, burnt out millions of arces in our forests and small town destoyed - about 5 people killed

only real difference is population and in America

They are scary things Bushfires

most of high country is still closed 8 months later :sad:

so you guys finally get a fire worth reporting on heh

we had 25% of victoria buring last summer - 300k fire front, burnt out millions of arces in our forests and small town destoyed - about 5 people killed

only real difference is population and in America

They are scary things Bushfires

most of high country is still closed 8 months later :sad:

That is awful! :(

the worst thing apart from lack of access is that we lost - 25 high country huts

these are huts established at the turn of 20th century that give shelter to recreational users, if you've seen Man from snowy river film from 1982 you get to see them in this

Walhalla lost its historic rail bridges - timber bridges built 150 years ago

so we know how how the californians feel right now

as a side note, here in oz bushfires are a natural occurence to the extent most of our native buch needs fire to actully propagate seeds etc, up here in queensland its not uncommon to see big fires in bushland that are left alone unless they endanger houses etc, most of our rural firefighters in australia are volunteers and we have developed very good techniques in fighting wildfires. i think theres a feww aussies over in the us teaching youre fire'ies bush fire fighting techniques. we are very fire aware here and basic precations are even practiced in most susburban areas aswell. as most of our country has been drought riden for sometime now water is very precious here so, firebeaks and genral precations around the home is essential aswell.

I saw the devastation of, by comparsion, a really small forest fire a number of years ago. When watching the devastation unfurl in California, I am left with a jaw-dropping "Oh my". :(

And Australia gets it worse than this? Oh my!

the 2 worse fires in Australia where

1939 - black friday - 1000's of house lost and 100's killed in Vic and Sth australia
1983 - Ash wednesday - 80+ people killed - most of Victoria and South Australia was on fire - including suburbs in Melbourne and adelaide (breathed ash for days)

both these fires burnt over 1000000 hectares and lasted for many days, temperatures where in the mid 40's Celius and at the end of big droughts

2003 - high country fire - 200k fire front through high country in northern victoria and southern NSW - mostly forest only and a few small towns
plus the one from last year - we didn't we the sun for weeks - fire last 50 days and covered SE Aust in smoke

Couple of years (not sure on year ago most of Sydney was on fire - lots of houses lost in suburbian Sydney)

as Zbee said we have volunteers that fight bushfires - these people are amazing

60 minutes has or is going to talk about the forest service's practices that have led to these "mega" fires.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=49750&cl=4640019&ch=&src=

Like our friends down under have said, wild fires are a natural and often necessary part of the ecosystem. The problem is that the area that used to be wild isn't anymore.

Like our friends down under have said, wild fires are a natural and often necessary part of the ecosystem. The problem is that the area that used to be wild isn't anymore.

BAM - you nailed it.

its a good thing firefighters are starting to get the upper hand...

Im leaving cali tomorrow to go to Maryland...I just picked up my Pat today from the dealership, and when i called progressive they had to make sure my current zip code isnt near the fire areas, otherwise they wouldnt give me insurance. Luckily Im further north, yet tomorrow i will be driving down near LA on my way to texas for a few weeks.

Im leaving cali tomorrow to go to Maryland...I just picked up my Pat today from the dealership, and when i called progressive they had to make sure my current zip code isnt near the fire areas, otherwise they wouldnt give me insurance. Luckily Im further north, yet tomorrow i will be driving down near LA on my way to texas for a few weeks.

Yikes... please be careful in CA and the rest of your drive.

Shows the need for volunteer firefighters all over the nation...