DiabloWags said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

DiabloWags said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

This thread may set a record for misinformation and lack of understanding.

---

I bet there are a lot of Trumpers here that think that LA gets its water from NorCal, fed by Northern California rivers and snowmelt.

---

Well… it does. At least some of it comes via the Aqueduct from the Feather River.

---

Most of Los Angeles water does not come from Northern California.

It comes to the city via the city's 112-year old aqueduct that runs from the Owens Valley east of the Sierra Nevada, not the Delta, as well as groundwater. The City imports water from the Metropolitan Water District, which relays water from the Colorado River to numerous local agencies. The City of LA was the main motivating force for the building of the Colorado River Aqueduct in the 1930's.

And FWIW, the MWD has the most water stored in its system in the history of the agency.

---

"Los Angeles receives water from several sources. The Los Angeles Aqueduct (LAA) supplied 15 percent of the water that was treated at the Los Angeles Aqueduct Filtration Plant. Purchased imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) amounted to 73 percent. The remaining amount was sourced from local groundwater at 10 percent and recycled water at 2 percent."



Link:
https://www.ladwp.com/who-we-are/water-system/las-drinking-water-quality-report/la-water-sources-2022

dimitrig said:

---

I wasn't sure if it was serious or not but I was relieved that the fire department was aware.

I have an elderly cat that needs insulin which requires refrigeration. The idea had been to take her with us so we could refrigerate her medicine, which we did. I had left my other cats at home with the idea that I would retrieve them later if the wind got really bad.

When I left the hotel I could already see a red glow in the distance. The hotel was 7.5 miles from my house. I left my SO with the cat at the hotel and drove home. As I got closer and closer things looked worse and worse. I could see the canyon in flames.

The smoke was so thick I turned on my fog lights and drove slowly for that last mile home. There were people in the street wearing masks and pushing wheelchairs from the nearby nursing home. The smoke was like pea soup fog but I could see the palm trees above me bursting into flames throwing burning embers all around my truck like angry fireflies in showers of sparks. I did not expect that. Where were the police? How come the road wasn't blocked off? Was it safe to be driving there and why were there people scattered across the dark road in the midst of thick smoke? I was on a street with medical offices, a florist, a McDonald's, and a 7-11. My elderly relative's orthopedic surgeon had his office there and there's a vet as well. I wasn't up in the hills.

I have lived through a few big wildfires in the area. The strategy is always to let them burn themselves out in the mountains and preserve structures below. My neighbors experienced an evacuation in 1993 but only about 100 homes were lost and they were the ones closest to the mountains. No homes were lost between my house and the canyon in that fire.

When I reached my street I saw the smoke wasn't any better. In fact, it was getting worse. A police officer was driving and blaring on his bullhorn that we needed to evacuate immediately! I had just gotten there! The street was eerily quiet. There was one family loading a car and everyone else was gone. The power had been out all day so it was pitch black except for some solar or battery-powered Christmas decorations.

I pulled up to my house in the howling wind. Gusts were over 60mph at least. Ash was falling like rain. I ignored the policeman and he just kept going. I would tell him I had to get my cats if he insisted I leave.

I called my SO and told her what was going on. I told her I didn't have much time and I asked her what she wanted to save. She said to just get the cats and leave. My phone was blowing up with calls and texts from people wanting to know if I made it out. I answered a couple and then put it on silent because it was a distraction.

I had left some battery powered candles on in the house and so I had a little light but not much. My phone and a couple of lanterns was all. The entire house smelled like smoke.

We have 6 cats. One of them was already at the hotel but I had to evacuate the other five. That wasn't the plan for the day unless the wind broke a window or something.

I grabbed a cat carrier. Well, the cats were scared and they were hiding. It was hard to find them in the dark and they ran from me when I approached. I managed to get three of them fairly quickly but I couldn't find the others. I called my SO and asked her what to do. She said to put those three in the truck and leave if I had to.

The police circled the block again. I stayed really still so as not to be seen and put my light out. I had already taken some really important things like my laptop earlier. I grabbed a bag with the fine jewelry and some cash in it which my SO had packed in advance along with a new Mac laptop I had just bought and never unboxed. I also grabbed a really big cat kennel I had set aside so that when back at the hotel we could crate the cats.

In between all of that I would occasionally glimpse a cat running. I even grabbed one and she slipped out of my grasp. I felt like time was running out. I went to the photo albums and decided to forget them. If they were gone I'd live. I couldn't take them all and I had no priority (lesson learned). My SO wanted her baby book but I couldn't find it. I called her to tell her the photos weren't coming and that I was going to make one last effort for the remaining cats but that is all. She was resigned to that. Maybe the house would survive. It had before. It was built in the 1920s. My eyes were stinging from the smoke. Could the cats survive that? Maybe. They are pretty resilient.

I looked around the house. I decided to take video for insurance purposes and went to every room of the house and took 20 seconds of narrated video to show the contents. I used that chance to see if I had forgotten anything. That is when I made my peace that "stuff" - even expensive stuff, even sentimental stuff, is just stuff. I could let it all go. I wondered why I even had all of that stuff. It was very freeing to think of life without it.

That said, there was an original painting from a local artist we know perched in front of me. It hadn't been rehung. It's not worth that much money, maybe a few thousand, but we like it. We have other art but I couldn't be bothered to find it. We had recently moved things around for Christmas. That is why this painting was off the wall. I don't know where my SO stored it and it seemed unimportant.

I could see a red glow on the horizon and flames in the far distance as they climbed the mountain. The fire was so distant. Was I really in imminent danger?

I could see the red and blue lights as the police came around for what would be the last time. I loaded the truck and I saw one other pair of taillights down the street but it drove off. I was alone, wind blowing, smoke everywhere. No sign of fire despite me driving through the embers of the burning palms.

How close was it really? The embers can soar for over a mile. No firefighters were to be seen. If the cop was serious wouldn't he be banging on doors? I made the decision that I was going to make a last effort to find and take the last two cats.

It wasn't easy. I had to systematically search the house. When I searched one room I closed the door and considered it "clear." By being methodical I was able to find a cat and cage her despite her scratching me and trying to bite even. Whew! One left but he has always been the best hider.

I figured that anyone would be satisfied that I tried my best. I also didn't want to be trapped and killed myself or all that good work would be for nothing. I called my SO and told her the good news. I asked her if she wanted anything else in the house and she said no. I told her I was going to leave and the last cat would fend for himself. She seemed resigned. She praised me for even doing what I had.

I loaded the cat in the truck. I took some video to show the neighbors that their houses were still standing - at least they were then. I had been running the sprinklers since I got there but I turned them off. No need to waste more water.

In retrospect I should have left them running but the wind was scattering the water everywhere anyway. I probably should have hosed down the roof as well although my roof is tile. I sprayed some water half-heartedly across my planters and went to go lock the house for the last time.

I knew that the last cat could only be in our attic. I searched everywhere else. He liked to go up there. I had looked several times already. I convinced myself I would feel guilty forever if he died in that attic when I knew he was up there. My SO converted it into an office space and a dance studio. There was also a lot of storage so all kinds of random items.

I decided to take the kid gloves off and just take the attic apart. I dropped the mirrors (on stands) to the floor. I tipped over everything. I made a gigantic mess searching behind and under everything. No cat. Impossible. Maybe I missed him in the dark.

I was about to give up when I looked underneath some hanging racks of clothing - I had looked under them previously - and saw orange fur. I grabbed him and threw him in a carrier and took him downstairs. I took one last, possibly final, look around the house and I left.

I called the SO from my truck.

"I got him," I said. "I got them all."

"You are amazing," she said.

She doesn't usually say that about me.

"I am not sure we will have a house to go back to," I said.

"You got what matters most," she said.

I can relate what has happened since then later. It has been a week for sure!

---

Absolutely RIVETING!

As a big time Cat Lover and animal shelter volunteer/rescue supporter, I'm so happy that you went back in one last time and was able to secure your last kitty. You really should be awfully proud of yourself. It sounds like you didn't panic. Although things were happening spontaneously, it sounded like you were still quite methodical and processing everything really well under a ton of pressure.

You really should be quite PROUD of yourself.
You did one heck of a job!

MinotStateBeav said:

---

Worth a watch on this video.

One billionaire couple owns almost all the water in California.

In 1994, the Resnicks secretly seized control of California’s public water supply.

Now their companies use 150 billion gallons every year while working class people suffer under drought conditions. pic.twitter.com/1xu1LzvJYS

— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) January 8, 2025

---

I once read about the Resnick's in the following article from Mother Jones, August of 2016.
It's an amazing article if you have time to read it.

They own quite the Agricultural Empire. They are the world's biggest producers of pistachios and almonds.
They also own Fiji Water, Teleflora, and the iconic pomegranate juice brand, POM.

All told, they own America's second largest produce company, worth well over $4 Billion.

Meet the California Couple Who Uses More Water Than Every Home in Los Angeles Combined Mother Jones

dimitrig said:

---

I wasn't sure if it was serious or not but I was relieved that the fire department was aware.

I have an elderly cat that needs insulin which requires refrigeration. The idea had been to take her with us so we could refrigerate her medicine, which we did. I had left my other cats at home with the idea that I would retrieve them later if the wind got really bad.

When I left the hotel I could already see a red glow in the distance. The hotel was 7.5 miles from my house. I left my SO with the cat at the hotel and drove home. As I got closer and closer things looked worse and worse. I could see the canyon in flames.

The smoke was so thick I turned on my fog lights and drove slowly for that last mile home. There were people in the street wearing masks and pushing wheelchairs from the nearby nursing home. The smoke was like pea soup fog but I could see the palm trees above me bursting into flames throwing burning embers all around my truck like angry fireflies in showers of sparks. I did not expect that. Where were the police? How come the road wasn't blocked off? Was it safe to be driving there and why were there people scattered across the dark road in the midst of thick smoke? I was on a street with medical offices, a florist, a McDonald's, and a 7-11. My elderly relative's orthopedic surgeon had his office there and there's a vet as well. I wasn't up in the hills.

I have lived through a few big wildfires in the area. The strategy is always to let them burn themselves out in the mountains and preserve structures below. My neighbors experienced an evacuation in 1993 but only about 100 homes were lost and they were the ones closest to the mountains. No homes were lost between my house and the canyon in that fire.
...

She doesn't usually say that about me.

"I am not sure we will have a house to go back to," I said.

"You got what matters most," she said.

I can relate what has happened since then later. It has been a week for sure!

---

Great job on the rescue run Dimitri!

Fingers crossed for your home, let's hope the worst is over.

dimitrig said:

---

I wasn't sure if it was serious or not but I was relieved that the fire department was aware.

I have an elderly cat that needs insulin which requires refrigeration. The idea had been to take her with us so we could refrigerate her medicine, which we did. I had left my other cats at home with the idea that I would retrieve them later if the wind got really bad.

When I left the hotel I could already see a red glow in the distance. The hotel was 7.5 miles from my house. I left my SO with the cat at the hotel and drove home. As I got closer and closer things looked worse and worse. I could see the canyon in flames.

The smoke was so thick I turned on my fog lights and drove slowly for that last mile home. There were people in the street wearing masks and pushing wheelchairs from the nearby nursing home. The smoke was like pea soup fog but I could see the palm trees above me bursting into flames throwing burning embers all around my truck like angry fireflies in showers of sparks. I did not expect that. Where were the police? How come the road wasn't blocked off? Was it safe to be driving there and why were there people scattered across the dark road in the midst of thick smoke? I was on a street with medical offices, a florist, a McDonald's, and a 7-11. My elderly relative's orthopedic surgeon had his office there and there's a vet as well. I wasn't up in the hills.

I have lived through a few big wildfires in the area. The strategy is always to let them burn themselves out in the mountains and preserve structures below. My neighbors experienced an evacuation in 1993 but only about 100 homes were lost and they were the ones closest to the mountains. No homes were lost between my house and the canyon in that fire.

When I reached my street I saw the smoke wasn't any better. In fact, it was getting worse. A police officer was driving and blaring on his bullhorn that we needed to evacuate immediately! I had just gotten there! The street was eerily quiet. There was one family loading a car and everyone else was gone. The power had been out all day so it was pitch black except for some solar or battery-powered Christmas decorations.

I pulled up to my house in the howling wind. Gusts were over 60mph at least. Ash was falling like rain. I ignored the policeman and he just kept going. I would tell him I had to get my cats if he insisted I leave.

I called my SO and told her what was going on. I told her I didn't have much time and I asked her what she wanted to save. She said to just get the cats and leave. My phone was blowing up with calls and texts from people wanting to know if I made it out. I answered a couple and then put it on silent because it was a distraction.

I had left some battery powered candles on in the house and so I had a little light but not much. My phone and a couple of lanterns was all. The entire house smelled like smoke.

We have 6 cats. One of them was already at the hotel but I had to evacuate the other five. That wasn't the plan for the day unless the wind broke a window or something.

I grabbed a cat carrier. Well, the cats were scared and they were hiding. It was hard to find them in the dark and they ran from me when I approached. I managed to get three of them fairly quickly but I couldn't find the others. I called my SO and asked her what to do. She said to put those three in the truck and leave if I had to.

The police circled the block again. I stayed really still so as not to be seen and put my light out. I had already taken some really important things like my laptop earlier. I grabbed a bag with the fine jewelry and some cash in it which my SO had packed in advance along with a new Mac laptop I had just bought and never unboxed. I also grabbed a really big cat kennel I had set aside so that when back at the hotel we could crate the cats.

In between all of that I would occasionally glimpse a cat running. I even grabbed one and she slipped out of my grasp. I felt like time was running out. I went to the photo albums and decided to forget them. If they were gone I'd live. I couldn't take them all and I had no priority (lesson learned). My SO wanted her baby book but I couldn't find it. I called her to tell her the photos weren't coming and that I was going to make one last effort for the remaining cats but that is all. She was resigned to that. Maybe the house would survive. It had before. It was built in the 1920s. My eyes were stinging from the smoke. Could the cats survive that? Maybe. They are pretty resilient.

I looked around the house. I decided to take video for insurance purposes and went to every room of the house and took 20 seconds of narrated video to show the contents. I used that chance to see if I had forgotten anything. That is when I made my peace that "stuff" - even expensive stuff, even sentimental stuff, is just stuff. I could let it all go. I wondered why I even had all of that stuff. It was very freeing to think of life without it.

That said, there was an original painting from a local artist we know perched in front of me. It hadn't been rehung. It's not worth that much money, maybe a few thousand, but we like it. We have other art but I couldn't be bothered to find it. We had recently moved things around for Christmas. That is why this painting was off the wall. I don't know where my SO stored it and it seemed unimportant.

I could see a red glow on the horizon and flames in the far distance as they climbed the mountain. The fire was so distant. Was I really in imminent danger?

I could see the red and blue lights as the police came around for what would be the last time. I loaded the truck and I saw one other pair of taillights down the street but it drove off. I was alone, wind blowing, smoke everywhere. No sign of fire despite me driving through the embers of the burning palms.

How close was it really? The embers can soar for over a mile. No firefighters were to be seen. If the cop was serious wouldn't he be banging on doors? I made the decision that I was going to make a last effort to find and take the last two cats.

It wasn't easy. I had to systematically search the house. When I searched one room I closed the door and considered it "clear." By being methodical I was able to find a cat and cage her despite her scratching me and trying to bite even. Whew! One left but he has always been the best hider.

I figured that anyone would be satisfied that I tried my best. I also didn't want to be trapped and killed myself or all that good work would be for nothing. I called my SO and told her the good news. I asked her if she wanted anything else in the house and she said no. I told her I was going to leave and the last cat would fend for himself. She seemed resigned. She praised me for even doing what I had.

I loaded the cat in the truck. I took some video to show the neighbors that their houses were still standing - at least they were then. I had been running the sprinklers since I got there but I turned them off. No need to waste more water.

In retrospect I should have left them running but the wind was scattering the water everywhere anyway. I probably should have hosed down the roof as well although my roof is tile. I sprayed some water half-heartedly across my planters and went to go lock the house for the last time.

I knew that the last cat could only be in our attic. I searched everywhere else. He liked to go up there. I had looked several times already. I convinced myself I would feel guilty forever if he died in that attic when I knew he was up there. My SO converted it into an office space and a dance studio. There was also a lot of storage so all kinds of random items.

I decided to take the kid gloves off and just take the attic apart. I dropped the mirrors (on stands) to the floor. I tipped over everything. I made a gigantic mess searching behind and under everything. No cat. Impossible. Maybe I missed him in the dark.

I was about to give up when I looked underneath some hanging racks of clothing - I had looked under them previously - and saw orange fur. I grabbed him and threw him in a carrier and took him downstairs. I took one last, possibly final, look around the house and I left.

I called the SO from my truck.

"I got him," I said. "I got them all."

"You are amazing," she said.

She doesn't usually say that about me.

"I am not sure we will have a house to go back to," I said.

"You got what matters most," she said.

I can relate what has happened since then later. It has been a week for sure!

---

I broke into tears, finally, when

Quote:

---

"You are amazing," she said.

She doesn't usually say that about me.

---

This is an historic post.
Can you please go back and timestamp everything?
When did you leave for hotel?
When did you return to house?
How long at the house?
Dates and times.

concordtom said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

quebec water planes

---

Wow, you were/are on it with this story!!!
Now maybe you can find a report on the level of efficacy in LA. I'm curious how much a difference it made.

---

I've seen these planes in action up close and personal in the south of France, the CL-215/415 have been around since the 70s with few changes to the design, and they are a fixture around the fire-prone pine forests and dry summer landscapes of the northern Mediterranean.

The 1 or 2 planes which have been deployed to fight the fire aren't going to be game changers, but a squadron of a dozen or more would bave made a definite impact. This below is the flight path of one water bomber from yesterday, imagine if there was a long trail of a dozen planes on that same loop, you would have constant 1,600 gallon water drops over a target every 40 seconds or so. It' like the difference between someone trying to extinguish a fire on his own with a pail vs a chain or people with pails.

DiabloWags said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

I wasn't sure if it was serious or not but I was relieved that the fire department was aware.

I have an elderly cat that needs insulin which requires refrigeration. The idea had been to take her with us so we could refrigerate her medicine, which we did. I had left my other cats at home with the idea that I would retrieve them later if the wind got really bad.

When I left the hotel I could already see a red glow in the distance. The hotel was 7.5 miles from my house. I left my SO with the cat at the hotel and drove home. As I got closer and closer things looked worse and worse. I could see the canyon in flames.

The smoke was so thick I turned on my fog lights and drove slowly for that last mile home. There were people in the street wearing masks and pushing wheelchairs from the nearby nursing home. The smoke was like pea soup fog but I could see the palm trees above me bursting into flames throwing burning embers all around my truck like angry fireflies in showers of sparks. I did not expect that. Where were the police? How come the road wasn't blocked off? Was it safe to be driving there and why were there people scattered across the dark road in the midst of thick smoke? I was on a street with medical offices, a florist, a McDonald's, and a 7-11. My elderly relative's orthopedic surgeon had his office there and there's a vet as well. I wasn't up in the hills.

I have lived through a few big wildfires in the area. The strategy is always to let them burn themselves out in the mountains and preserve structures below. My neighbors experienced an evacuation in 1993 but only about 100 homes were lost and they were the ones closest to the mountains. No homes were lost between my house and the canyon in that fire.

When I reached my street I saw the smoke wasn't any better. In fact, it was getting worse. A police officer was driving and blaring on his bullhorn that we needed to evacuate immediately! I had just gotten there! The street was eerily quiet. There was one family loading a car and everyone else was gone. The power had been out all day so it was pitch black except for some solar or battery-powered Christmas decorations.

I pulled up to my house in the howling wind. Gusts were over 60mph at least. Ash was falling like rain. I ignored the policeman and he just kept going. I would tell him I had to get my cats if he insisted I leave.

I called my SO and told her what was going on. I told her I didn't have much time and I asked her what she wanted to save. She said to just get the cats and leave. My phone was blowing up with calls and texts from people wanting to know if I made it out. I answered a couple and then put it on silent because it was a distraction.

I had left some battery powered candles on in the house and so I had a little light but not much. My phone and a couple of lanterns was all. The entire house smelled like smoke.

We have 6 cats. One of them was already at the hotel but I had to evacuate the other five. That wasn't the plan for the day unless the wind broke a window or something.

I grabbed a cat carrier. Well, the cats were scared and they were hiding. It was hard to find them in the dark and they ran from me when I approached. I managed to get three of them fairly quickly but I couldn't find the others. I called my SO and asked her what to do. She said to put those three in the truck and leave if I had to.

The police circled the block again. I stayed really still so as not to be seen and put my light out. I had already taken some really important things like my laptop earlier. I grabbed a bag with the fine jewelry and some cash in it which my SO had packed in advance along with a new Mac laptop I had just bought and never unboxed. I also grabbed a really big cat kennel I had set aside so that when back at the hotel we could crate the cats.

In between all of that I would occasionally glimpse a cat running. I even grabbed one and she slipped out of my grasp. I felt like time was running out. I went to the photo albums and decided to forget them. If they were gone I'd live. I couldn't take them all and I had no priority (lesson learned). My SO wanted her baby book but I couldn't find it. I called her to tell her the photos weren't coming and that I was going to make one last effort for the remaining cats but that is all. She was resigned to that. Maybe the house would survive. It had before. It was built in the 1920s. My eyes were stinging from the smoke. Could the cats survive that? Maybe. They are pretty resilient.

I looked around the house. I decided to take video for insurance purposes and went to every room of the house and took 20 seconds of narrated video to show the contents. I used that chance to see if I had forgotten anything. That is when I made my peace that "stuff" - even expensive stuff, even sentimental stuff, is just stuff. I could let it all go. I wondered why I even had all of that stuff. It was very freeing to think of life without it.

That said, there was an original painting from a local artist we know perched in front of me. It hadn't been rehung. It's not worth that much money, maybe a few thousand, but we like it. We have other art but I couldn't be bothered to find it. We had recently moved things around for Christmas. That is why this painting was off the wall. I don't know where my SO stored it and it seemed unimportant.

I could see a red glow on the horizon and flames in the far distance as they climbed the mountain. The fire was so distant. Was I really in imminent danger?

I could see the red and blue lights as the police came around for what would be the last time. I loaded the truck and I saw one other pair of taillights down the street but it drove off. I was alone, wind blowing, smoke everywhere. No sign of fire despite me driving through the embers of the burning palms.

How close was it really? The embers can soar for over a mile. No firefighters were to be seen. If the cop was serious wouldn't he be banging on doors? I made the decision that I was going to make a last effort to find and take the last two cats.

It wasn't easy. I had to systematically search the house. When I searched one room I closed the door and considered it "clear." By being methodical I was able to find a cat and cage her despite her scratching me and trying to bite even. Whew! One left but he has always been the best hider.

I figured that anyone would be satisfied that I tried my best. I also didn't want to be trapped and killed myself or all that good work would be for nothing. I called my SO and told her the good news. I asked her if she wanted anything else in the house and she said no. I told her I was going to leave and the last cat would fend for himself. She seemed resigned. She praised me for even doing what I had.

I loaded the cat in the truck. I took some video to show the neighbors that their houses were still standing - at least they were then. I had been running the sprinklers since I got there but I turned them off. No need to waste more water.

In retrospect I should have left them running but the wind was scattering the water everywhere anyway. I probably should have hosed down the roof as well although my roof is tile. I sprayed some water half-heartedly across my planters and went to go lock the house for the last time.

I knew that the last cat could only be in our attic. I searched everywhere else. He liked to go up there. I had looked several times already. I convinced myself I would feel guilty forever if he died in that attic when I knew he was up there. My SO converted it into an office space and a dance studio. There was also a lot of storage so all kinds of random items.

I decided to take the kid gloves off and just take the attic apart. I dropped the mirrors (on stands) to the floor. I tipped over everything. I made a gigantic mess searching behind and under everything. No cat. Impossible. Maybe I missed him in the dark.

I was about to give up when I looked underneath some hanging racks of clothing - I had looked under them previously - and saw orange fur. I grabbed him and threw him in a carrier and took him downstairs. I took one last, possibly final, look around the house and I left.

I called the SO from my truck.

"I got him," I said. "I got them all."

"You are amazing," she said.

She doesn't usually say that about me.

"I am not sure we will have a house to go back to," I said.

"You got what matters most," she said.

I can relate what has happened since then later. It has been a week for sure!

---

Absolutely RIVETING!

As a big time Cat Lover and animal shelter volunteer/rescue supporter, I'm so happy that you went back in one last time and was able to secure your last kitty. You really should be awfully proud of yourself. It sounds like you didn't panic. Although things were happening spontaneously, it sounded like you were still quite methodical and processing everything really well under a ton of pressure.

You really should be quite PROUD of yourself.
You did one heck of a job!

---

Hear, hear!

Wow, looks much worse than the Oakland fire:

A satellite image shows the Eaton wildfire around nearly every building in western Altadena on fire pic.twitter.com/CcLb0Q2G7I

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) January 9, 2025

Why don't we buy one or two super scooper planes - on top of the deal w Canada?

Why don't SoCal, Las Vegas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, share a fleet of one dozen planes - a number suggested by Cal88?

Naomi Klein describes disaster capitalism as a strategy that exploits chaos to advance neoliberal policies and corporate interests. How capitalism thrives on shocks, devastations, and disasters. “A tsunami sweeps across Asia, and developers take the chance to clear fishing…

— L E F T, PhD ⚫️ (@LeftSentThis) January 10, 2025

Possibly some new information.

1. According to DWP operations they had no power to operate pumps to recharge local water tanks, local reservoirs, or pressurize lines. SCAQMD requires "non fossil fuel" backup generators, for most cases, in the LA Basin. But electric power generators don't work when the power is shut off. Hence, firemen had no water to fight fires.

2. Newsom uses semantics to push back on Trump, but Trump is correct when he says Newsom sued to prevent the implementation of a "water restoration document". The document indeed would have restored some water for food and people. It was the completion of the 2019 Biological Opinions that replaced the 2008 & 2009 Opinions which massively failed to produce any endangered fish recoveries.

(The older Opinions were based on science mostly from 2004, and caused fish populations to continue spiraling towards extinction. Trump worked with state and federal scientists and agencies, used 10 years of the latest and greatest data to create a better policy, and Newsom sued less than 24 hours after it was signed to prevent its implementation.)

3. How did upwards of 55 fires start so quickly? I've read of two cases of arson. We knew it was a high fire danger period, and Los Angeles has thousands of verifiable nut cases, as well as copy cat nutjobs and Anarchists. We also just had a very contentious election.

4. Local fire officials said they couldn't test fire hydrants bc they were understaffed. You're telling me they couldn't test one, two fire hydrants a day? No stress test in 5, 10 years?

5. Some folks allege fire hydrants are stolen in Los Angeles County for scrap metal. Unsure if this played a role in any of these areas.

"The lack of sufficient water to put out the fires wasn't as simple as a few bone-headed decisions by incompetent people. It's exceptionally complex: Municipal water systems aren't built for this many fires requiring this much water from this many hydrants. Fixing this, if super-fires are indeed a new normal, would be a domestic Manhattan Project."
-Axios

bearister said:

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"The lack of sufficient water to put out the fires wasn't as simple as a few bone-headed decisions by incompetent people. It's exceptionally complex: Municipal water systems aren't built for this many fires requiring this much water from this many hydrants. Fixing this, if super-fires are indeed a new normal, would be a domestic Manhattan Project."
-Axios

---

FALSE.

1. Allow First Responders to use diesel, natural gas, etc., to run generators, in emergencies. These generators could have refilled local reservoirs, water tanks, and pressurized lines. (See above post.)

2. Buying a fleet of massive water tanker planes for the southwestern United States is common sense. Or make it the whole west coast. A dozen or more.

3. Having fire crews check fire hydrants daily is simple and common sense. You don't need extra crew to do this, unless union rules are a problem.

4. Cutting fire breaks and having controlled burns in early spring or late fall is common sense. Brush removal is common sense. Having fire trails is common sense (the Sierra Club sued to remove them).

5. Having fire mitigation and preparation be more important than DEI policies is critical.

6. A lawless society with substantial populations of drug users (aka homeless), Anarchists, and cartel members is ripe for problems.

7. It's interesting this happened right after the election of President Trump. This isn't the first time Los Angeles has had strong winds.

8. Pacific Palisades 117-million-gallon reservoir was offline and empty for cosmetic repairs.

"Officials told The Times that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed for repairs to its cover, leaving a 117 million gallon water storage complex empty in the heart of the Palisades."

This high reservoir feeds smaller tanks and lines below it.

Officials argue it wouldn't be full; but why not fill it 100% before a peak fire period?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pacific-palisades-reservoir-offline-empty-163924460.html

movielover said:

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bearister said:

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"The lack of sufficient water to put out the fires wasn't as simple as a few bone-headed decisions by incompetent people. It's exceptionally complex: Municipal water systems aren't built for this many fires requiring this much water from this many hydrants. Fixing this, if super-fires are indeed a new normal, would be a domestic Manhattan Project."
-Axios

---

FALSE.

1. Allow First Responders to use diesel, natural gas, etc., to run generators, in emergencies. These generators could have refilled local reservoirs, water tanks, and pressurized lines. (See above post.)

2. Buying a fleet of massive water tanker planes for the southwestern United States is common sense. Or make it the whole west coast. A dozen or more.

3. Having fire crews check fire hydrants daily is simple and common sense. You don't need extra crew to do this, unless union rules are a problem.

4. Cutting fire breaks and having controlled burns in early spring or late fall is common sense. Brush removal is common sense. Having fire trails is common sense (the Sierra Club sued to remove them).

5. Having fire mitigation and preparation be more important than DEI policies is critical.

6. A lawless society with substantial populations of drug users (aka homeless), Anarchists, and cartel members is ripe for problems.

7. It's interesting this happened right after the election of President Trump. This isn't the first time Los Angeles has had strong winds.

---

If this stuff is indeed "common sense" and critical public service, then I'll bet dollars to donuts that local conservatives have argued against paying for much of it with their tax dollars (aside from law enforcement, which they always want to pay for).

Cal88 has spelled out the massive advantages of the Bombardier 415 Superscooper - CL-215 / 415 water bombers - that sound 8x or 10x as efficient as fixed wing, often smaller planes.

Canada has them, France has them, we loan them out.

I understand this was fine in most situations, but since many fire professionals knew this day was coming, why not prepare and be proactive?

Ballpark price - $35 - 40 Million each

movielover said:

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bearister said:

---

"The lack of sufficient water to put out the fires wasn't as simple as a few bone-headed decisions by incompetent people. It's exceptionally complex: Municipal water systems aren't built for this many fires requiring this much water from this many hydrants. Fixing this, if super-fires are indeed a new normal, would be a domestic Manhattan Project."
-Axios

---

FALSE.

1. Allow First Responders to use diesel, natural gas, etc., to run generators, in emergencies. These generators could have refilled local reservoirs, water tanks, and pressurized lines. (See above post.)

2. Buying a fleet of massive water tanker planes for the southwestern United States is common sense. Or make it the whole west coast. A dozen or more.

3. Having fire crews check fire hydrants daily is simple and common sense. You don't need extra crew to do this, unless union rules are a problem.

4. Cutting fire breaks and having controlled burns in early spring or late fall is common sense. Brush removal is common sense. Having fire trails is common sense (the Sierra Club sued to remove them).

5. Having fire mitigation and preparation be more important than DEI policies is critical.

6. A lawless society with substantial populations of drug users (aka homeless), Anarchists, and cartel members is ripe for problems.

7. It's interesting this happened right after the election of President Trump. This isn't the first time Los Angeles has had strong winds.

---

There must be tens of thousands of fire hydrants in LA. You're proposing testing them daily? That would probably require half the Fire Department out driving from hydrant to hydrant all day. I can't wait to hear the approving comments about the commitment to testing while houses burn down for lack of available fire crews.

I can't wait to hear the screaming about smoke from prescribed burns in a heavily populated urban area. Not to mention the liability issues if one gets away and burns into residential areas. Prescribed burns getting out of control and escaping the planned burn area happens every year in a few places.

Your conspiracy allusion to the fires happening during Trump's transition period is pure self absorbed narcissism.

Many of his talking points come right out of the mouth of conspiracy clowns like Alex Jones as well as Elon Mother****er.

And according to Jones, this is a "Globalist" conspiracy (by the Jews) to take down America.

"Murder by design"

Elon Musk Deletes Post Agreeing With Alex Jones Fire Claim

There is no problem on a macro level- enough water to drown all these fires.

The problem is partly engineering calculations for peak load and largely maintenance and adaptation of infrastructure for current number of people and needs.


Governments don't like spending money for " maintenance". They prefer to spend money on big capital projects with a constituent payback. Same, no matter who is in charge

DiabloWags said:

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movielover said:

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Cal88 has spelled out the massive advantages of the Bombardier 415 Superscooper - CL-215 / 415 water bombers - that sound 8x or 10x as efficient as fixed wing, often smaller planes.

Canada has them, France has them, we loan them out.

I understand this was fine in most situations, but since many fire professionals knew this day was coming, why not prepare and be proactive?

Ballpark price - $35 - 40 Million each

---

You still have no idea what you're talking about.,
No, we don't "loan them out" as you claim.

California has a govt contract for two of the CL-415 from Quebec each year for the LAST 30 YEARS.
Duh.

Plus, there are 3 Boeing CH-47 Chinook helitankers with 3,000 gallon tanks as well as a smaller Sikorsky S-76 Helo contracted with Southern California Edison out of British Columbia. This program runs 365 days a year, 24/7 and they're on every 911 call in the Los Angeles Basin, according to the owner of the company.

'On the front line': Quebec planes and B.C. helicopters battle L.A. wildfires

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Why are you dissembling and being so abrasive about it?

People are saying "we should have more than 2 CL-415 planes" and your responding with: (i) we have 2; and (ii) California has a lot of other types of planes and helicopters that fight fires.

The assertion is that we should have more of a specific thing that is particularly effective in fighting fires - CL-415 planes. Fine to dispute that - but your arguments are not even addressing that point.

It is almost like you just want to call people names and tell them they're stupid (which boomerangs right back at you).