Agree with @lookingforward about the complexity of factors. PGE was a major player, however, in both the North Bay fires and this one. Sorry about those who want to blame some force-field like global warming. If people want to connect CA’s previous/recent droughts with the firestorm (dead, brittle trees), you also have to consider that unexpected, interim heavy rains increased vegetation (fuel), as well.
Regarding fast-moving fires, and differences with the smaller ones: the Oakland Hills Fire in 1991 bore some of these characteristics – “jumping” over structures due to the force of winds. But that combined with simply the amount of brush – cleared near the home or not.
The evac order now extends to the north side of the Feather River directly across from Oroville and around a much bigger section of the lake. Click on the map link. The edge of the evac order is now three miles from our friends’ house. This is just unreal.
And other neighborhoods experienced the leapfrog behavior. Live photos of intact houses in Paradise stood next to leveled ones, with survivors outside of the untouched ones televised on the news.
The proximate and immediate cause of these fires has been the faulty, outdated equipment of Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison combined with poor maintenance. Both of these companies literally have blood on their hands! They are totally to blame. But the legislature has in effect immunized them from blame. Any damages they have to pay for killing people or burning homes is going to come out of the rate payers pockets, not the company.
The Thomas fire that took lives in both the fire and the massive mudslide in Montecito.
The Paradise fire that has the worst death toll of any fire in California history.
The current Woolsey fire.
The Santa Rosa and wine country fires.
Previous Malibu fires.
All caused because of poor line maintenance, failure to trim trees and brush around lines and other electrical equipment failures. PG&E and SoCal Edison keep burning homes and killing people and no one, least of all the government is outraged enough to do anything about it!
My home is safe. I got a chance to personally thank the great fire fighters who saved our neighborhood. They are real heroes and humble saying ‘They are just doing their job’. My thanks go out to them.
Re climate change and wildfires: The worst wildfire in American history happened in 1871. The Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin took as many as 2,500 lives. It happened around the same time as the Great Chicago fire. Before the combustion engine.
So as the article says, 2018 is not included in the protections to the electric companies afforded by the bill. Good! Without financial consequences to the electric companies, nothing will change.
The other thing some don’t realize is the constant reaction after a fire, anytime one smells smoke. It’s been decades since my experience and I still get that “alert” response.
Several weeks ago PG&E set up a base camp outside of Santa Cruz. The purpose, to trim trees and clear brush in the surrounding, often mountainous, terrain. And guess what…a not insignificant number of ‘tree people’ are up in arms, asking for the clearing and cutting to be stopped. Claiming their sacred neighborhoods and nature is being assaulted. The trees need to be saved.
@dietz199 Having formerly been a homeowners insurance underwriter it never ceased to amaze me the number of people and communities that would refuse to address brush concerns. The natural feel of their property, neighborhood, community, or town was more important than life and property protection. I would shake my head when people would go with inferior or no insurance instead of agreeing to manage the brush within 75’-100’ of their house.
The company I worked for also employed a private fire fighting company that would supplement the standard response and it amazed me after every fire to see neighborhoods devastated and then those one or two homes in tact that one of a couple of insurance companies insured. It was not only the additional fire fighting resources but the pre-planning/brush management that saved them. It was more work and the insurance was more expensive but to not have to go through the destruction and rebuilding process was well worth it. Some fires there is no saving anything (as we see today) but there are steps that can be taken for the majority of the wildfire risk.
