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Dumping Seawater on LA Fires Is an Experiment Scientists Are Closely Watching
Science Alert ^ | January 14, 2025 | Patrick Megonigal

Posted on 01/15/2025 12:17:22 PM PST by Red Badger

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To: Az Joe

I agree that the expedient objective is, put out the $@&!^!@( fire!

But from seafaring experience I have great respect for the corrosion on steriods which results from bi-metallic materials in saltwater and from aluminum in saltwater with a low voltage stray current applied. Eats it up. Muy rapido!

But still, the corrosive damage is negligible compared to the imperitive of killing the fire. The houses on Malibu/Pallisades that were between the PCH and the ocean should have had pumps cascading seawater down on their roofs. The cost of that would have been a fraction of a percent of the deductible they are facing.


41 posted on 01/15/2025 3:49:06 PM PST by Wally_Kalbacken
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To: Az Joe

I just remember reading about this—I couldn’t give you a source.


42 posted on 01/15/2025 3:53:05 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Wally_Kalbacken

how would you pump seawater to cascading down on their roofs when there’s no electricity to run the pumps?...


43 posted on 01/15/2025 3:57:36 PM PST by heavy metal (smiling improves your face value and makes people wonder what the hell you're up to... 😁 )
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To: Verginius Rufus

I’ve heard it too but just let it go. Today I found this.

https://darwinawards.com/legends/legends1998-03.html

Scuba Divers and Forest Fires
1998 Urban Legend

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/corpus-crispy/


44 posted on 01/15/2025 4:00:43 PM PST by Az Joe (We can't spare President Trump; He fights!)
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To: Az Joe

An urban legend? Another story that was too good to be true.


45 posted on 01/15/2025 4:13:25 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Red Badger
Saltwater corrodes firefighting equipment and may harm ecosystems

This has to be the height of stupidity. They hesitate to use salt water because it might hurt the plants but they have no qualms with letting fire hurt the plants.

46 posted on 01/15/2025 4:20:10 PM PST by DouglasKC
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To: IC Ken
The story that the site of Carthage was sown with salt was widely believed by scholars until 1986.

R. T. Ridley in an article "To be taken with a Pinch of Salt: The Destruction of Carthage," published in the journal Classical Philology, Vol. 81 (1986) 140-146, was able to show that no ancient sources mentioned that Carthage was sown with salt, and that 19th-century scholars also did not assert that. He thought that the story started with The Cambridge Ancient History in 1930 in a chapter written by B. Hallward.

In the Bible, Abimelech destroyed Shechem and sowed the site with salt (Judges 9:45).

A couple of other scholars reacting to Ridley found examples in the Middle Ages of cities reportedly being sown with salt (by Attila in 452, and by Frederick Barbarossa in 1162), and it seems that the modern misconception regarding the case of Carthage began a little earlier than 1930.

47 posted on 01/15/2025 4:23:07 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Red Badger
What happens if smelt are scooped up with the water and dropped on the fire?
48 posted on 01/15/2025 4:52:29 PM PST by kickstart ("A gun is a tool. It is only as good or as bad as the man who uses it" . Alan Ladd in 'Shane' )
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To: IC Ken

False


49 posted on 01/15/2025 5:50:21 PM PST by mbarker12474
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To: Red Badger

Fire fighters routinely use sea water at sea to fight fires. On land fire fighters pulll dirty water from ponds, etc.

Afterwards, they back flush and clean pumps and systems.

Salt water is a non issue.

Land near seas and salty waters are routinely flooded. The air nearby oceans is salty. A non issue.

Roadways are routinely coated with salt when snow is coming. A non issue.


50 posted on 01/15/2025 5:56:13 PM PST by mbarker12474
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To: iontheball
That's not true. Cars, trucks, buildings and everything else in a shoreline area are exposed to salt from ocean spray. Even in intense forest fire fighting the amount of water spread on any particular area of the ground is small, and unlikely to appreciably change the salt content of the soil.

For the fire equipment, a rinse with fresh water will remove the salt just like it does from anything else.

51 posted on 01/15/2025 6:36:51 PM PST by freeandfreezing
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To: heavy metal

A generator is a good way to provide electricity on demand. Or you can pre-fill elevated tanks.


52 posted on 01/15/2025 6:37:51 PM PST by freeandfreezing
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To: Red Badger

[BARF ALERT!!!]


53 posted on 01/15/2025 9:03:56 PM PST by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: heavy metal

Gas or diesel powered pumps down on the beach side. I dunno, I’m thinking about this from the safety of Las Vegas, where seldom is heard discouraging word. And we have essentially no natural disaster risks.


54 posted on 01/15/2025 10:55:09 PM PST by Wally_Kalbacken
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To: heavy metal

We have many salt tolerant plants here in Florida, mainly because Florida is just a big sandbar sticking out in the ocean. Salt water flows over the land during hurricanes and they come right back. We’d be glad to send some to California!...............


55 posted on 01/16/2025 5:09:51 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: kickstart

56 posted on 01/16/2025 5:16:16 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: IC Ken

Yeah, Carthage comes to mind.


57 posted on 01/16/2025 1:22:49 PM PST by aquila48 (Do not let them make you "care" ! Guilting you is how they. control you. )
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To: freeandfreezing

i live in the big bend area of florida... aka hurricane alley...

i have three standby generators ready to roll in case of emergency...


58 posted on 01/16/2025 3:24:12 PM PST by heavy metal (smiling improves your face value and makes people wonder what the hell you're up to... 😁 )
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To: Wally_Kalbacken

what happens in vegas stays in vegas...


59 posted on 01/16/2025 3:26:12 PM PST by heavy metal (smiling improves your face value and makes people wonder what the hell you're up to... 😁 )
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To: Red Badger

you might want to educate yourself about suwannee county florida and the numerous fresh water springs that people enjoy throughout the area...


60 posted on 01/16/2025 3:33:08 PM PST by heavy metal (smiling improves your face value and makes people wonder what the hell you're up to... 😁 )
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