Posted on 12/10/2017 3:11:44 PM PST by BunnySlippers
The so-called Thomas Fire is only 15 percent contained, now threatening the city of Santa Barbara and the nearby coastal town of Carpinteria, and is on track to become one of the worst wildfires in California history.
It has already destroyed 583 structures and scorched 173,000 acres, the authorities say. New evacuations were ordered in Carpinteria, which been under fire threat for days.
The new evacuation zone extends within two miles of the Santa Barbara Zoo.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Chaparral? Chaparral grows all over deserts...lol
*I did.
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Most of the central valley is clearly desert.
Brentwood, Oakley, Antioch and Pittsburg are all built on sand dunes. The ridge of hills to the east of Concord is a huge pile of sand, and Kirker creek is erroded like a miniature grand canyon.
People don’t realize that pumping water to the desert doesn’t cancel it.
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“Southern CA is not a desert? Turn off the water supply for 1 year and I can assure you, you will see a desert landscape.
Nearly everything growing in S. CA was planted by people and if the water is turned off, most if it dies off very quickly.”
Several rivers drain the local mountains, and deposit water into the aquafer too.
Pretty good agriculture in the area, prior to massive importation of water.
Citrus, other orchards, vegetables.
I recall reading sometime ago, that the pre-European Indians of the Lost Angeles basin were quite prosperous and numerous, with fishing, growing, mild climate etc.
It’s absolutely true.
Don’t believe me? Turn off your water supply for about 1 year and report back.
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Its all Algore’s fault!
He bought a house in Montecito.
My brother-in-law just grabbed his computer and his passport and headed up to the Bay Area. His place is probably safe; he’s on Alamar about 3 blocks from Foothill, but he’s tired of the smoke.
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The Santa Ana winds are fast, hot, dry and persistent.
Way back when I was a pup, I used to hang out with the Civil Defense Officer for the Pomona Valley, he told me that if a fire started north of LA and a Santa Ana blew for a week (not uncommon), it would burn all the way to the Pacific, and there wouldn't be a dammed thing they could do about it.
This had to be arson on a grand scale.
What area? Most of the coastal plains of in S.CA are now concrete. So I’m not sure where all these agricultural areas are in S.CA.
The southern California winds in the news lately are called the Santa Anas.
They originate in what is sometimes referred to as the “high desert”. It is an are north of a line of mountains running from just barely northeast of L.A. for more than 70 miles further east. It is known as the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountain rages. The high desert sits north of them. As the fall and winter progresses, the high desert temps drop much lower than the temps south of those mountain ranges, and the temperature differential draws the winds south into the Inland Empire & the L.A. Basin (through major mountain passes through those mountains from the high desert) and west to the coast just west of the high desert.
In their journey west they meet the low coastal mountains (I call them hills) and it is there you find all sorts of little canyons. While there can be the venturi affect on the immediate wind speed in some locations there, there is no such requirement for those little coastal mountains and their minor canyons, when you go further east out in the Inland Empire, were Santa Anas come right off the high desert at 40-70 miles an hour, through large passes like the Cajon Pass.
The major factor is not the structure of the coast, it is the high desert north of the San Gabriel/San Bernardino mountains and east of the little coastal mountains. Minus that feature, the temperature differentials driving the winds would not be born.
My major correction to you is, it is not winds born in the mountain elevations. The main air movement is trying get THROUGH the mountains from north of the mountains.
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Very little of California isn’t desert.
Most of the coastal hills are nothing but sand.
By your definition, most of the Mojave isn’t dessert because there is lots of vegitation.
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Las Vegas is Spanish for “The Meadows”.
It’s still a desert.
Colorado River or no.
The diaries kept by members of the Gaspar de Portola expedition clearly record the natural conditions in Southern California long before any efforts to bring water from outside the region.
Fray Juan Crespi, writing on July 17, 1769 northeast of what is now Carlsbad.
“In a little while we climbed a very grassy hill without rocks, in open country, then traveled over mesas that are in part covered with grass and in part by a grove of young oaks, rosemary, and other shrubs not known to us. Aside from this all the land is well covered with grass and is mellow. After traveling about a league we descended to a valley full of alders, in which we saw a village, but without people.”
Miguel Costansó, on July 20, 1769 near today’s Rancho Santa Margarita;
“We set out very early in the morning, following one of the canyons that terminated on the northern side of the valley of San Juan Capistrano. This canyon afterwards turned to the northeast, and, for this reason, we left it so as not to go out of our course. After passing some hills, we came into another spacious and pleasant canyon adorned with groves of trees and covered with pasture. The day’s journey was two leagues. To this place we gave the name of Santa Margarita.”
Gaspar de Portola, from today’s La Cienega Blvd. between Olympic Blvd. and Gregory Way, on August 3, 1769:
“We had much pasture, water, and an abundance of antelope and deer.”
I’m sure the king of Spain was thrilled he was adding so much barren desert to his kingdom!
Yes, Mojave is desert. My father grew up in Maricopa, and i know full well that deserts lie to the east of the coastal areas. I posted the definition of a desert and the coastal areas do not fall into that definition.
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Correct!
No question, its all arson. So was Santa Rosa and Napa Valley.
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Nope. its the natural consequence of draconian policies regarding clearing brush, controlled burns and thinning.
Generations of poor management allowed an insanely monstrous fuel load to build up, a careless cigarette, a poorly extinguished camp fire, a lighting strike, or even some loose rocks bouncing down a hill and sparking and WOOSH!!!
Yes if ya go back 150 or 500 years. But the lay of the land has all been changed. Natural rivers which used to provide some water have long since been concreted over and sends billions of gallons to the sea....
I’m talking about 2017 S. CA with upwards of 15,000,0000 water consuming thirsty people....lol.
Again, ya turn off the water in 2017 CA, you got a desert landscape in 12 months.
Bet the rent.
Not saying it wasn’t arson, just that it didn’t need to be on a grand scale.
The BLM and state of California made double plus sure there was abundant fuel.
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