The damage caused by the latest rash of fires ripping through Southern California seem to have no end in sight. The massive disaster continues to unfold, as the wildfires are now in their sixth day.
From San Diego to Malibu, the Santa Ana-fueled and arson-instigated blazes burn their way across our state, covering miles and leaving clouds of smoke across the horizon. Early estimates put property damage well over a billion dollars in San Diego alone, as thousands of home burned to the ground this week.
Arson fires have devastated Orange Country, and law officials are offering rewards in their search for the suspects. Some residents watched in horror as fires consumed their homes, with a fire truck nearby, unable to advance on the monstrously strong heat and winds.
Federal assistance is coming in, as Governor Schwarzenegger and President Bush have converged in California, taking aerial looks at the damage and mobilizing emergency relief responses from all federal agencies. Bush has signed a disaster declaration for the state, as San Diego Country fires still spark and burn. San Diego now has more refugees than New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
From BradBlog: “Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and local officials have made media appearances claiming credit for swiftly responding to the disaster...What the Governor failed to mention is that he vetoed four bills that would have increased staffing and fire resources after the Cedar Fire, at a cost of tens of millions of dollars.
“A fifth bill, signed by Schwarzenegger, requires local governments to first submit safety plans to the California Department of Forestry and will not take effect until 2010, the Los Angeles Times reported in a May 20, 2007 article titled “Fire danger acute as 2003 lessons fade.” That article has since disappeared off the newspaper’s website, but a copy can still be read.”
The situation is ripe for political blame-shifting and finger-pointing, as the "whose at fault" shuffle game has already begun. Both sides of the environmental debate have weighed in, claiming they know why the fires are raging. To add to that, some are asking serious questions in regard to the fires blamed on arson.
The sleepy town of Potrero, California is slowly coming to the nation’s attention, as they resist the infamous mercenary group Blackwater's attempts to move in. Blackwater had plans to move into Potrero and set up a training camp. Some of the locals were strongly against the anti-terrorism, private military camp taking 800 acres of their town and turning it into a shooting range.
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
What's with the forced and largely irrelevant eight-month old 'Reader' reference?: "The sleepy town of Potrero, California is slowly coming to the nation's attention, as they resist the infamous mercenary group Blackwater's attempts to move in."
Portrero is at the edge of the major Harris fire, but not specifically mentioned as a problem area, and only seems to be brought up in this article so that the writer could dredge up a peripheral agenda and two videos (one preceded by an Al Jazeera intro). Seems disproportionately
out of place.
2 - Laron
Good question.
The mention of Potrero, California & Blackwater is ironic, as one of the main reason for the towns people resistance to the training camp was the increased fire hazard.
I personally just read the eight month old piece, as it was emailed to me by a friend. The Harris fire is still active with one man listed dead as far as I know.
"97 homes, 2 commercial properties and 17 outbuildings have been destroyed, and 250 additional structures are damaged." - CALFIRE site
I bring it up as the Blackwater/Potrero story runs directly into the fire story. The fire erupted just as Potrero citizens were starting preparations for the election, slated for December. Among the ruins is the towns post office, making the rural delivery of voting ballots impossible. I also mention the city, as arson is a huge suspect in many of the fires, including the one in Potrero.
Salon article on Potrero and Blackwater