Homeless man sets van on fire, burns down parking garage

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by mgforshort

An ordinary taxpayer with financial assets could be arrested for arson and sued for damages in this case. While I'm going off topic, please remember the majority of our devastating fires are caused by arson, some deliberate, others accidental or negligent.

Do you know what the definition of arson is? "A person is guilty of arson when he or she willfully and maliciously sets fire to or burns or causes to be burned or who aids, counsels, or procures the burning of, any structure, forest land, or property", given that fire destroyed the man's van it is very unlikely that he set the fire willfully or maliciously. The City should have established safe parking lots - outdoors like Santa Barbara did a decade ago. Have a security guard on duty and require that the vehicles be legally registered. Putting them in a City parking garage was probably not the best idea.

And I really don't think that most fires are started by arson, and arson cannot be "accidental or negligent" because that would mean that it wasn't arson at all.

Rice reports that debris burning starts the most human-caused fires, at 29 percent, with arson the cause of 21 percent of fires. Equipment use causes 11 percent of fires, while campfires and children playing with fireworks or matches each cause 5 percent of fires. The Fourth of July, predictably, is the biggest day for wildfires, with 7,762 fires ignited on that date over the 21-year study period. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart...%20of%20fires.

[mgforshort]

The point I wanted to make was that most fires are man-made, and a few happens from a lightning storm. It doesn't matter what the intentions were, we are all paying for the devastating result.

[wburg]

Originally Posted by mgforshort

The point I wanted to make was that most fires are man-made, and a few happens from a lightning storm. It doesn't matter what the intentions were, we are all paying for the devastating result.

So basically the same as the consequences for demolishing affordable housing and failing to build enough to meet the need for the past half century or so? As you say, it doesn't matter what the intentions were, and we are all paying for the devastating result.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by wburg

So basically the same as the consequences for demolishing affordable housing and failing to build enough to meet the need for the past half century or so? As you say, it doesn't matter what the intentions were, and we are all paying for the devastating result.

Nailed it ... again

[mgforshort]

So by now we agree that the big fires are happening because the cost of housing went up lately. Good job.

I'm waiting for the next enlightened poster who claims that most mass shootings are the consequences of Gucci handbags and shoes getting really expensive.

[wburg]

....no, that doesn't follow at all. We have more unhoused people because housing got more expensive, yes, when housing becomes more expensive, people with less money can't afford it. Not sure what that has to do with fires.

[cb73]

I'm sure there are some unhoused that were doing ok until the rent went up and they ended up in their car.

But looking at the groups of homeless around where I live, the drug, alcohol and mental issues were in place long before the price of rent went up. Building low-income housing will not get them off the streets--not sure if even a massive push in social services/rehab would help at this point.

I, sadly, know of someone that is homeless with severe mental health issues. He cannot live indoors because "they" have cameras in the walls. And he can no longer take his psych meds because "they" have put poison in them. He has access to mental health help that has helped in the past, but nothing seems to help anymore. The stark reality is that he needs to be involuntarily confined, but he has "rights"--so he'll continue to steal and attack people until someone shoots him. Sad commentary on what modern help has done for people.

And for the guy in the garage? Meh, he had no skin in the game--what does it matter how much damage he causes? No one will hold him liable.