Many thanks from this San Diegan! I had just posted that on another thread...that we were getting air support from Colorado, Wyoming and I thought NC.
CBS live feed reports that Piru (sp?) fire looks like it's lighting up more.
The NWS has issued a dense fog advisory for coastal San Diego and Orange Counties. Nothing for LA. I did see that showers are forcast for LA on Friday. Good news.
Arizona sent several vehicles and 100 firefighters to help also. They arrived yesterday to give your guys a hand. It was quite a caravan sight traveling along the interstate. Our local channel helicopters gave them a send off that brought tears to my eyes...
Advice for Homeowners affected by Wildfire
Recovering from the devastation of a wildfire is a challenging experience. Residents of rural communities across Arizona have been watching the news as the fire season becomes a “Hot” topic. Our thoughts and prayers have been with you while you have gone through some tough days and nights. We hope to help with some words of wisdom and suggestions that might assist homeowners learning to deal with the problems left by a Wildfire.
· Register with the appropriate authorities if you have not already done so. It is important to register with the Red Cross to facilitate communications should a family member need to contact you. The Red Cross can also help fire victims with immediate needs including personal hygiene items and clothing.
· Request a copy of your homeowners policy if you did not remove yours from your home when you evacuated.
· Contact your agent, or the home office of the insurance carrier as soon as possible. You should give notice of the possibility of an insurance claim, even if you have been unable to verify the status of your residence.
· Start to prepare a list of contents that are/were in your home. It is standard procedure for the insurance company to request an itemized list of all (lost) belongings covered under the policy. This can be a lengthy/time consuming task. It is a list that you will also need when you file your income taxes next April. It is virtually impossible to remember everything in your home, old photos or videos can be helpful. Call on friends, neighbors and family members, they typically have photos of events they attended at your home.
· Review your insurance policy, and request the assistance of an insurance professional to maximize the coverage. Your policy will provide reimbursement based upon the coverage and limitations stated in the insurance policy.
· Areas to pay close attention to include, special limits of liability, the dollar amount listed for coverage on the dwelling, contents and additional living expenses.
· Special circumstances arise in the event the damaged home is a seasonal residence, or a second home. Read the specific coverage provided in each policy and apply to the individual circumstances.
· Utilize coverage for trees, debris removal, and other miscellaneous items. They may seem insignificant, but can help restore your household if you are dealing with a complete loss.
· In the event of difficulty with your insurance carrier, you can contact the State Department of Insurance.
· Get involved with your community, family, friends, etc. Watch for signs of depression, and seek appropriate help when necessary. Remember, after experiencing a loss of this magnitude, it is normal to go through the various stages of the grieving process.
Kathy Boatman is a licensed insurance agent, and resides in Queen Creek, Arizona.
She can be reached at
hlphzarrived@aol.com or 480-570-1586.
Spark a Quest for Knowledge
I grew up near Heber, Arizona where the Rodeo Chediski fire burned my childhood home, June 22, 2003. I have personally witnessed the changes in our forest that President Bush has referred to in the Healthy Forest Initiative. I watched the fire sweep across the mountains of Arizona and I cried on more than one occasion while I watched the news.
That fire sparked a quest for knowledge. I wanted to know how this could happen. I spent summers on Gentry fire lookout tower with my Mom and we never witnessed anything like this. I knew we were in a drought, but I also knew there was much more to this than just dry weather.
I became frustrated when news reports didn't tell the whole story. That's when I turned to my computer. I started learning about current forest policies, the environmental movement and the damage they are doing to our security and quality of life.
Hypothetically speaking, what would Americans do if they knew a shadow group had quietly formed a nationwide organization with intentions of changing our laws, using our court system, and influencing government officials outside the election process? What if they found ways to get government grants to purchase private land over the objections of the owners? What if they infiltrated our government agencies to accomplish their goals, even recruiting governors and the occasional misled President of the United States while they were at it? Would Americans be concerned? Sure! And no, I'm not talking about the Republican Party.
I'm talking about America's own environmental industry, now totally out of control and pursuing policies that clearly threaten America's infrastructure and stability. In Meltdown on Main Street, Richard Lesher, former president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says "The environmental movement is long overdue for some serious soul searching and reconciliation with reality."
Some of the Big Players in this game of "Change America to benefit special environmental interests" include names we're familiar with like the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Forest Conservation Council. The list is long. Most natural resource industries have been seriously compromised, including the companies who make wood products for our homes and the miners who dig the minerals to make our cars.
An article from the Arizona Republic, "Environmentalist set agenda," reported that a coalition has been formed by environmental and preservation groups, with the apparently benign goal of mending environmental problems. Further research revealed a list of goals that is amazing; plans to support the Citizens Clean Elections Act and plans to support citizen's suits similar to those that have prevented timber harvests in communities across the United States. They oppose international border policies that encourage the use of high-powered lights saying the lights disturb wildlife habitat near the border. They plan on working to continue the reform of state trust land management and increasing the amount of funding available for their version of conservation programs. Lori Faeth, one of the individuals who received special thanks for her work on this project, is Arizona Governor Napolitano's natural resources advisor.
The Dictionary defines Special Interests as "A person, a group, or an organization attempting to influence legislators in favor of one particular interest or issue." The definition was more to the point than I expected and nothing is more "special interest" than the environmental agenda of removing people from the land.
These groups plan to buy or seize "Key private lands, inholdings and grazing allotments(www.skyislandalliance.org) to form the Sky Islands Wildlands Network,” about 17.3 million acres that extends from the Mogollon Rim in Arizona to west central New Mexico south to the mountains in Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico. They would like to see grizzlies and wolves travel freely through this area, never mind the people who live there now.
We must do four things to right the situation; first, educate Americans on the problems facing our natural resource industries, second, expedite decision making procedures; third, bring in new tools including long term stewardship contracts with private industries; and fourth, get legislative direction to the courts.
The only remedy for this problem is to contact Government officials urging them to enact legislation dealing with the current environmental laws and process predicament. Ask yourself what is in “this room” that does not come from the land, sea, air or water and then decide what your future will look like if we do not bring common sense back to our Government. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the Healthy Forest Bill.
By Kathy Gibson Boatman
March 17, 2003
Email
hlphzarrived@aol.com or mail correspondence to P.O. Box 9412, Chandler Heights, AZ 85227. Phone 480-570-1586
Good morning! I pray that they can save the town but it appears that the surrounding areas have suffered. Lake Cuyamaca is 90% lost. The mountain trails that we love so much are gone, not to mention the wildlife that was destroyed. Aftert he Pines Fire last year much of the wildlife moved into Cuyamaca State Park. I have seen herds of deer! I hope they moved out o.k. but I'm sure the population will be thinned.
