B
B1ackwater
Guest
CNN
FAWNSKIN, California (AP) -- Firefighters Sunday were battling two
raging wildfires in Southern California that forced nearly 2,000
people to evacuate.
State forestry firefighters battle a blaze at a YMCA camp near
Fawnskin, California, on Saturday.
The larger blaze burned 15,433 acres of dense, dry bush in the San
Bernardino National Forest and was 12 percent contained. Authorities
initially said the fire charred 18,000 acres but infrared mapping
overnight showed the fire was smaller.
About 340 residents were under mandatory orders to leave the Fawnskin
area and another 1,200 voluntarily left their homes in the resort
community of Green Valley Lake, Forest Service spokeswoman Carol
Beckley said.
However, cooler temperatures were expected to aid firefighters Sunday
and the fire was headed northwest away from the homes, Beckley said.
The fire was at least at least 10 miles from the nearest desert
community.
"Right now, it doesn't appear they're in much danger," she said. "The
fire would have to travel quite a bit."
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for San
Bernardino County on Saturday, clearing the way for state government
assistance with costs related to the fire.
The fire, which remained under investigation, burned several
outbuildings at a campground. About 1,800 firefighters were aided by
12 fixed-wing aircraft, 27 hand crews and 15 bulldozers.
- - - - -
The future is clear. Whether it's 'global warming' or
something else, it's clear that the US southwest is
destined to become one huge desert. The climate can
no longer support forests. They dry out and then
burn away to nothing - leaving naught but sterilized,
barren soil behind. Then, if there finally IS rain,
that soil will be swept away in mud-slides - lacking
the organics and root systems to hold together and
hold on to water.
As we've seen in the Amazon, one missing swath of
forest screws-up conditions downwind - so we get
a cascade effect of creeping drought and fire until
everything that CAN burn HAS burned. The only thing
that MIGHT help is if we agressively re-plant the
burned areas with trees and low shrubs. Alas, due
to the sheer area involved, that may not be possible.
Too much money for California, maybe for the rest of
the country too. Cheaper to deal with the mudslides
and water shortages as they show up ... for awhile
anyhow.
As this deforestation/drought trend continues, it
will creep northeastwardly up through Colorado.
Alas, the prime source of water for the southwest,
and especially So-Cal cities and agriculture, is
the Colorado river. It's already at maximum
utilization. Even a 25% reduction in volume would
spell disaster for California. Large, super-expensive
desalination plants could theoretically provide for
the population in Los Angeles and vicinity, but
agriculture would literally dry up and blow away.
How to PAY for those desalination plants then ?
This may be another case of, well, you know how stupid
it is to rebuild New Orleans because it's under sea
level ... it may be a similarly pointless excercise to
try and keep LA alive if the agricultural base fails.
FAWNSKIN, California (AP) -- Firefighters Sunday were battling two
raging wildfires in Southern California that forced nearly 2,000
people to evacuate.
State forestry firefighters battle a blaze at a YMCA camp near
Fawnskin, California, on Saturday.
The larger blaze burned 15,433 acres of dense, dry bush in the San
Bernardino National Forest and was 12 percent contained. Authorities
initially said the fire charred 18,000 acres but infrared mapping
overnight showed the fire was smaller.
About 340 residents were under mandatory orders to leave the Fawnskin
area and another 1,200 voluntarily left their homes in the resort
community of Green Valley Lake, Forest Service spokeswoman Carol
Beckley said.
However, cooler temperatures were expected to aid firefighters Sunday
and the fire was headed northwest away from the homes, Beckley said.
The fire was at least at least 10 miles from the nearest desert
community.
"Right now, it doesn't appear they're in much danger," she said. "The
fire would have to travel quite a bit."
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for San
Bernardino County on Saturday, clearing the way for state government
assistance with costs related to the fire.
The fire, which remained under investigation, burned several
outbuildings at a campground. About 1,800 firefighters were aided by
12 fixed-wing aircraft, 27 hand crews and 15 bulldozers.
- - - - -
The future is clear. Whether it's 'global warming' or
something else, it's clear that the US southwest is
destined to become one huge desert. The climate can
no longer support forests. They dry out and then
burn away to nothing - leaving naught but sterilized,
barren soil behind. Then, if there finally IS rain,
that soil will be swept away in mud-slides - lacking
the organics and root systems to hold together and
hold on to water.
As we've seen in the Amazon, one missing swath of
forest screws-up conditions downwind - so we get
a cascade effect of creeping drought and fire until
everything that CAN burn HAS burned. The only thing
that MIGHT help is if we agressively re-plant the
burned areas with trees and low shrubs. Alas, due
to the sheer area involved, that may not be possible.
Too much money for California, maybe for the rest of
the country too. Cheaper to deal with the mudslides
and water shortages as they show up ... for awhile
anyhow.
As this deforestation/drought trend continues, it
will creep northeastwardly up through Colorado.
Alas, the prime source of water for the southwest,
and especially So-Cal cities and agriculture, is
the Colorado river. It's already at maximum
utilization. Even a 25% reduction in volume would
spell disaster for California. Large, super-expensive
desalination plants could theoretically provide for
the population in Los Angeles and vicinity, but
agriculture would literally dry up and blow away.
How to PAY for those desalination plants then ?
This may be another case of, well, you know how stupid
it is to rebuild New Orleans because it's under sea
level ... it may be a similarly pointless excercise to
try and keep LA alive if the agricultural base fails.
