I know I haven't heard a lot of announcements. You would think that people would have more common sense then that which makes me wonder if they are doing it on purpose. Having lived in SoCal for awhile, I know we had people out there intentionally starting fires.
I doubt that it's on purpose, although you never know. It only takes the extreme stupidity of a few, and there are always a few. It's really hard to conceive of how clueless some people are about the consequences of their actions.
I was really worried about the fireworks on New Years. I thought the whole state could go up in flames if people started setting off fireworks. Yet I heard almost no public announcements about it. I heard a lot of noisemakers in my neighborhood at midnight, but not the usual number of fireworks. So maybe someone showed a little common sense.
I don't think anyone is setting fires here. Too many people depend on the ranching industry. We haven't had but a quarter inch of rain here since July. The grass is so dry it's like gasoline. the creeks are dry and most of the stock tanks volunteer fire depts. depend on for pumping water. It only takes a tiny spark to start a fire--sparks from a welder, electrical short, and something we fear now, fires from catalitic converters. No one drives out in their fields now. Even the people fighting the fires threaten to start more.
The day after the Mustang fire last week I watched some idiot on the freeway toss his cigarette out the window. People are morons.
Last night the news teams broke into most of the regular programming to cover the fires--and the fire personnel pleaded with the public to knock it off with the darned trash-burning, fireworks, and ciggy-tossing. Some of these folks think it's their God-given rights to burn their trash and toss their ciggies out the windows of their vehicles. Idiots.