The Fire Thread

mtnbikej said:
(CNN)A firefighter has been killed in the El Dorado Fire, the blaze sparked this month by a botched gender reveal party, according to the San Bernardino National Forest Service.

The firefighter was killed Thursday, the forest service said in a brief statement. The cause of death is under investigation, it said, and the firefighter's identity was withheld pending the notification of next of kin.
"Our deepest sympathies are with the family, friends and fellow firefighters during this time," the forest service said in a brief statement on Twitter.
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A helicopter prepares to drop water at a wildfire in Yucaipa, California, on September 5.
The El Dorado Fire was started by a "smoke-generating pyrotechnic device" used at a party over Labor Day weekend in El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles, according to Cal Fire investigators.


Fire officials told CNN at the time that those involved were cooperating with fire investigators.
As of Friday morning, the El Dorado Fire had scorched more than 21,000 acres and was 66% contained.
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:cry::cry: :cry:
 
Updates

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mtnbikej said:
(CNN)A firefighter has been killed in the El Dorado Fire, the blaze sparked this month by a botched gender reveal party, according to the San Bernardino National Forest Service.

The firefighter was killed Thursday, the forest service said in a brief statement. The cause of death is under investigation, it said, and the firefighter's identity was withheld pending the notification of next of kin.
"Our deepest sympathies are with the family, friends and fellow firefighters during this time," the forest service said in a brief statement on Twitter.
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My greatest fear with fires... buildings can be replaced, but now a death from it.

The family that started it could now be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
 
fos'l said:
Maybe I'm too critical, but IMO that should be the least of the charges.
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It is high time that intentional arson is a capital crime/attempted murder, and negligent arson from being f’ing stupid, like igniting fireworks in a brushy area during a heat wave, means you are under something like house arrest because you simply cannot be trusted outside, and you are fined for the damages. And yeah, if a death results, involuntary manslaughter
 
sir crashalot said:
It is high time that intentional arson is a capital crime/attempted murder, and negligent arson from being f’ing stupid, like igniting fireworks in a brushy area during a heat wave, means you are under something like house arrest because you simply cannot be trusted outside, and you are fined for the damages. And yeah, if a death results, involuntary manslaughter
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It is high time we uphold the laws we already have! But with who has been put in place to look the other way, this will not happen! All a working plan!
 
sir crashalot said:
It is high time that intentional arson is a capital crime/attempted murder, and negligent arson from being f’ing stupid, like igniting fireworks in a brushy area during a heat wave, means you are under something like house arrest because you simply cannot be trusted outside, and you are fined for the damages. And yeah, if a death results, involuntary manslaughter
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I agree. Problem with fines and restitution is no one can pay anything close to the losses incurred for firefighting, unless you're the Saudi businessman in Idyllwild. The gender reveal fire in AZ cost something like $8M to fight and judgment was won against the accused IIRC but of course even with lifetime wage garnishment he'd only ever pay a small fraction of that. For reference think about a typical mortgage of $300k over 25 years, payment is around $1500/mo.

So rather than fines and restitution I'd rather see sentences for community service where possible. For less serious offences like illegal campfires, accidental fires etc, I'd sentence to dozens or hundreds of hours of community service doing environmental or fire remediation work. Number of hours increases with severity of offence and damage done. We also have all the prisoner fire crews they could be attached to if given jail time. Perhaps weeks or years on the fire line would change their perspective on the seriousness of their action or thoughtlessness. Not much you can do where someone is deemed a public risk. Lock'em up! Climate change isn't going away so we need a way to get through to people to start taking fire safety seriously.
 
evdog said:
I agree. Problem with fines and restitution is no one can pay anything close to the losses incurred for firefighting, unless you're the Saudi businessman in Idyllwild. The gender reveal fire in AZ cost something like $8M to fight and judgment was won against the accused IIRC but of course even with lifetime wage garnishment he'd only ever pay a small fraction of that. For reference think about a typical mortgage of $300k over 25 years, payment is around $1500/mo.

So rather than fines and restitution I'd rather see sentences for community service where possible. For less serious offences like illegal campfires, accidental fires etc, I'd sentence to dozens or hundreds of hours of community service doing environmental or fire remediation work. Number of hours increases with severity of offence and damage done. We also have all the prisoner fire crews they could be attached to if given jail time. Perhaps weeks or years on the fire line would change their perspective on the seriousness of their action or thoughtlessness. Not much you can do where someone is deemed a public risk. Lock'em up! Climate change isn't going away so we need a way to get through to people to start taking fire safety seriously.
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Well said. I know most wont be able to pay millions. Great idea about the community service. I’m just venting, so tired of the stupid actions that cause serious damage.
 
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hill^billy said:
It is high time we uphold the laws we already have! But with who has been put in place to look the other way, this will not happen! All a working plan!
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Most people don't know that half of it, even when they DO decide to prosecute, the DA will frequently make their own standards that exceed what's actually needed per the Penal Code. I knew a 23 year old guy with a 70+ page rap-sheet back in the late 80's. His specialty was "robbery" of tourists who traveled via the Greyhound bus system and military personnel. He was so consistent, we sometimes knew who we were looking for before even talking to the victim, but since he didn't cause any injuries or steal very much money in the grand scheme of things, the DA always reduced his charges, dropped them altogether or let hime plead out to "time served" of a few weeks max.

The same thing happens with these arsonist types. I arrested only (2) in my career and both were let off with time served and probation because the damage was minimal and there were no injuries.
 
Oaken said:
I’m not sure. Driving North on Beach blvd. There’s a big billowing cloud that looks to be well East of that

yeah, I was just driving North on Beach blvd in Westminster. Looks well East of Juniper. Big billowing cloud.
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It's a big fire. I don't see any new fire being reported. It has already burned past the 39 and the 2
 
Closures have been updated.....most of So Cal will remain closed.......


Forest Service to Increase Access to National Forests in California
Contact(s): Public Inquiry Line: (707) 562-9113


VALLEJO, Calif.—The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region announces increased access to some National Forests in California beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2020.

The prohibition of the use of any ignition source on all National Forest System lands (campfires, gas stoves, etc.) throughout California remains in place.

Nine National Forests in California remain closed: Angeles NF, Cleveland NF, Los Padres NF, Inyo NF, Klamath NF, San Bernardino NF, Sequoia NF, Sierra NF, and Six Rivers NF. This decision will continue to be reviewed daily with evolving fire and weather conditions.

Nine other National Forests may open to varying degrees. Visitors should contact the following National Forests for more information on their status: Eldorado NF, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Lassen NF, Mendocino NF, Modoc NF, Plumas NF, Shasta-Trinity NF, Stanislaus NF, and the Tahoe NF. These forests will implement their own forest orders that will either limit dispersed use or provide for area closures around fires.

Conditions can change quickly. Therefore, we emphasize that all citizens heed local announcements for changes in conditions and potential evacuations.

"We understand how important access to the National Forests is to our visitors," said Randy Moore, Regional Forester for the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region. "Continued closures are essential based on extreme fire conditions, critical limitations of firefighting resources, and to provide for firefighter and public safety.”

Again, visitors are encouraged to contact their local National Forest for more information. We have developed a web map to help visitors find out which sites are open. Visit our online map at https://www.fs.fed.us/r5/webmaps/RecreationSiteStatus/. For additional questions, please contact your local National Forest.

The Forest Service manages 18 National Forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, which encompasses over 20 million acres across California, and assists State and Private forest landowners in California, Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. National forests supply 50 percent of the water in California and form the watershed of most major aqueducts and more than 2,400 reservoirs throughout the state. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/R5.
 
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