What frequency of fires would make you leave California? (live, trees)

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Bluemind21

I was born and raised in Sonoma County, CA. We've been planning on relocating out of the state for the past seven years or so. The decision to relocate had nothing to do with the threats of wildfires, but the 2017 fire, and the one still in progress here does have us wishing we could leave CA earlier. However, we have made commitments to employees, and our clients until the end of 2021, and we plan to honor that.

We were not evacuated during the 2017 fire, but we were during this Kincade fire. The evacuation order for us came in the early morning hours on Sunday, and we had been sleeping in shifts prior to that. Our daughter lives in Healdsburg, and we had evacuated her earlier Saturday afternoon. Leaving the house, and town in a caravan of vehicles was quite an experience, but we were given a lot of advanced notice to be ready, and we were. The lack of advance notice was a big issue for a lot of people during the 2017 Tubbs fire. Our friends lost their home to that fire, and had only minutes to leave as they had not received any emergency notification on their landline, or cell phones.

We have relatives in Sonoma County (several families) who have lived there for decades. They absolutely love it after moving from SoCal. However, one set lost their home to fire two years ago and barely escaped in the middle of night with their lives. Yet they still want to remain and rebuild.

This has now become their new normal, a normal I don't think anyone would want... at least during fire season. After reading about the history of fire prone regions in that area and the development in spite of the knowledge of the impending threat, it was pretty amazing what city officials allowed right in the worst paths for fire. I think this should be a warning for anyone new wanting to move to the area. And I would think it does give locals like yourself pause for thought when considering options/next steps.2021 sounds like a good exit goal with only two more fire seasons left.

Derek

[OneDawg]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/real...Rvy?li=BBnb7Kz

[marcopolo666]

Maybe this was already brought up in the other fire threads (or even earlier in this one - I don't care enough to read all the pages), but one of the big reasons for the more dangerous fire seasons the last couple of years is the recent 5 year drought. A *lot* of shrubs and trees died and are now dry kindling, just sitting there waiting to burn.

The most at-risk counties should be doing *controlled* burns, leaving numerous swathes of no-fuel zones 1/2 to a full mile wide around areas of higher population and areas of highest risk. And they should start the burns preferably an hour or two before an expected moderate-to-heavy rainfall is due, so that it will be extinguished fairly rapidly.

It aint rocket surgery, folks. This sort of problem was recognised after the MASSIVELY devastating Yellowstone wildfire over 30 years ago. (The reason it got so big was because the forest service didn't allow ANY fires - they would get put out ASAP - for so long that there was half a century of accumulated fuel for the fire.)

[Bluemind21]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

We have relatives in Sonoma County (several families) who have lived there for decades. They absolutely love it after moving from SoCal. However, one set lost their home to fire two years ago and barely escaped in the middle of night with their lives. Yet they still want to remain and rebuild.

This has now become their new normal, a normal I don't think anyone would want... at least during fire season. After reading about the history of fire prone regions in that area and the development in spite of the knowledge of the impending threat, it was pretty amazing what city officials allowed right in the worst paths for fire. I think this should be a warning for anyone new wanting to move to the area. And I would think it does give locals like yourself pause for thought when considering options/next steps.2021 sounds like a good exit goal with only two more fire seasons left.

Derek

Originally Posted by marcopolo666

Maybe this was already brought up in the other fire threads (or even earlier in this one - I don't care enough to read all the pages), but one of the big reasons for the more dangerous fire seasons the last couple of years is the recent 5 year drought. A *lot* of shrubs and trees died and are now dry kindling, just sitting there waiting to burn.


The most at-risk counties should be doing *controlled* burns, leaving numerous swathes of no-fuel zones 1/2 to a full mile wide around areas of higher population and areas of highest risk. And they should start the burns preferably an hour or two before an expected moderate-to-heavy rainfall is due, so that it will be extinguished fairly rapidly.

It aint rocket surgery, folks. This sort of problem was recognised after the MASSIVELY devastating Yellowstone wildfire over 30 years ago. (The reason it got so big was because the forest service didn't allow ANY fires - they would get put out ASAP - for so long that there was half a century of accumulated fuel for the fire.)

I recently learned more about Yellowstone's fire management while visiting for the first time this last June. Amazing place, and history.

I have been hearing "It's The New Normal" and "Global Warming/Climate Change" a lot around here. As far back as I can recall we've had temporary heat waves in the summer, and temporary colder than average temps in the winter, and periods of drought, and periods of heavier than normal rainfall that results in floods. Mother Nature does what she wants, when she wants and I am not at all convinced us humans have a lot to do with the weather. The recent increase in fires here can no doubt be linked to the lack of strong forest management. Especially in, and around any PG&E equipment as a lot of these fires have sparked from transformers, etc. Also, the point made about development spreading outside the city limits into more wooded areas, and/or straight up mountains has only added more fuel when high winds kick up and fires are sparked.

Our friends that are currently rebuilding their home after the 2017 loss, were really rocked by the events of the Kincade fire here last week. They didn't once say they have changed their mind about rebuilding though. I recently heard that some insurance companies are refusing to write policies on homes in some of these high risk fire areas. There is a history of wind events and fire here in Sonoma County that tend to follow a similar path, but people just keep rebuilding in the same areas.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Bluemind21

I recently learned more about Yellowstone's fire management while visiting for the first time this last June. Amazing place, and history.

I have been hearing "It's The New Normal" and "Global Warming/Climate Change" a lot around here. As far back as I can recall we've had temporary heat waves in the summer, and temporary colder than average temps in the winter, and periods of drought, and periods of heavier than normal rainfall that results in floods. Mother Nature does what she wants, when she wants and I am not at all convinced us humans have a lot to do with the weather. The recent increase in fires here can no doubt be linked to the lack of strong forest management. Especially in, and around any PG&E equipment as a lot of these fires have sparked from transformers, etc. Also, the point made about development spreading outside the city limits into more wooded areas, and/or straight up mountains has only added more fuel when high winds kick up and fires are sparked.

Our friends that are currently rebuilding their home after the 2017 loss, were really rocked by the events of the Kincade fire here last week. They didn't once say they have changed their mind about rebuilding though. I recently heard that some insurance companies are refusing to write policies on homes in some of these high risk fire areas. There is a history of wind events and fire here in Sonoma County that tend to follow a similar path, but people just keep rebuilding in the same areas.

How long have forest fires been a part of nature?

How long has “forest management” been around?

Not sure homo sapiens are influencing the weather? Maybe you should read about natural cycles more. Specifically, find a period of history where the carbon levels have exploded in extremely short periods that just happen to coincide with humanity’s industrialization.

Good grief.

[janellen]

I live within a few miles of the Giant Sequoia National Monument and Sequoia National Forest and they do control burns every year, usually after the first snow. I'm not sure if they do them in the monument, but CDF definitely does them in the forest.

I don't know how Northern California handles their forest management, but this article from the US Forest Service explains how the central/southern Sierra is managed.
Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument

Our local newspaper always tells us when there's going to be a prescribed burn (this is from 2017, but we got a notice this year too I think)
Forest plans control burns | News | recorderonline.com

[ggcd951]

There is this article in latimes that fire insurance premiums are rising.
It can cost to hundreds of dollars per month. I also read from I think sfgate that insurance topped 19000$ per year.

But it says also in the article that fire claims really are miniscule compared to hurricane like the one happens in houston and florida.

https://www.latimes.com/business/sto...surance-crisis

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

California is a very big state. As in anything, it depends on how something impacts your own life directly. So far, where I live in Silicon Valley, and with my retirement benefits, etc., I am not entertaining the notion of moving.

I am being careful, however, about having savings in case I'm ever burned out and enough renter's insurance, etc.

I do think if I had property in the Santa Rosa area, I'd be ready to sell and move out of Dodge, so to speak.

Of course not. You have a government housing voucher that allows you to pay a fraction of what others are paying.

[marcopolo666]

Originally Posted by RMESMH

Of course not. You have a government housing voucher ...

Yeah, it's called "Prop 13", and anyone who has been living here for years and years has it. It's a great perk that "real Californians" get to excersise (unlike the "jonny come latelys").

[marcopolo666]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

How long have forest fires been a part of nature?

How long has “forest management” been around?

Humans have been putting out the fires quickly instead of letting them burn the way they used to - that's the problem. I'm not advocating letting everything burn , simply do CONTROLLED burns in the right places to restrict the spread of massive wildfires.