Damn, why are these fires always starting in Cali? Is it the illegals or Islamo Nazis? I mean come on, every freakin’ year it seems to be the same thing with these fires and I know it ain’t no lighting and broken bottles doing this crap.
California is pretty much desert when you get right down to it. Much of the brush actually contains oil — such as creosote — because the dry conditions preclude them retaining water. So, when the environment is dry and the winds are blowing any little spark can set off a fire. I was born and raised in Southern California, and fires were an annual thing.
In October, 1978, an arsonist used a crude home-made fire bomb to start a devastating firestorm. He lit a cigarette and stuffed its butt into a book of matches, which he stuffed into a Dixie cup. Then he threw the device into a clump of dry chaparral behind a shopping mall next to Rte. 101 in Agoura, Calif.
The cigarette served as a slow-burning fuse that ignited the matches, which in turn ignited the cup, which set fire to the chaparral.
The resulting fire burned from Rte. 101 all the way to the ocean, about 10 miles away, and destroyed about 250 homes, including the Malibu mansion of band leader Gordon Jenkins.
Incidentally, they caught the arsonist.
Part of it may be related to the environmental policies in the state. My wife remembers decades ago her father being able to enter local forest areas and removing dead brush and trees that could be used for kindling and fires. Between those policies and the lack of funds to have state workers perform this type of clearing out, it's just a matter of time before a major fire erupts in the state.
One look at the country side tell you pretty much what you need to know. It’s unmaintained brush country and they insist on building their houses not just at the edge but in the middle of it. On the ranch we have a perimeter we maintain around the house for just such reason. We lost 14 square miles of ranch 6 years ago due to fire but no property damage to buildings or wells due to maintained perimeters. I would say the number one culprit for the fires is wind an hi-lines. Human error or intention being next.
It’s not complex. Strong winds knock down trees, limbs, etc which knock down power lines which can cause fires. And so much dry brush, millions of acres on the mountains and hills surrounding populated areas. Some are arson, most are not.
Taught to me here some years ago by Texas Cowboy, may God bless his soul.