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Smartest way to save your house from forest fires....
Don't build in or around a forest....
I suppose YOU want everyone to live in a city? I love living in the woods, so peaceful and calming. It's nice to wake up in the morning and see so mny wild animals just going by.
Oh I understand all too well. I've fought many forest fires [I wonder if YOU have ever done so or just sit back and watch?] Too many times the wood that can be used to warm houses in the winter or build things is destroyed so aren't the lives of wildlife that didn't get out of the way.
THAT idea was tried in Yellowstone. they let it burn for a month unchecked and never stopped untill manpower and aircraft was used to put it out [I believe they lost several homes and almost lost an historic lodge there]
A bit techy down there in Texas...
And no, you don't. I'm talking about the natural course of events. If humans didn't build in areas they shouldn't, which necessitates trying to put out the fires, then forests would do what they've always done - burn. It replenishes them. In fact some seeds won't germinate unless they been through a fire. What happens now is that the fires are suppressed so that when one finally takes off it has a huge amount of fuel in the form of dead wood that would have burned in previous fires.
Whether or not I've ever fought a forest fire is not important.
And no, you don't. I'm talking about the natural course of events. If humans didn't build in areas they shouldn't, which necessitates trying to put out the fires, then forests would do what they've always done - burn. It replenishes them. In fact some seeds won't germinate unless they been through a fire. What happens now is that the fires are suppressed so that when one finally takes off it has a huge amount of fuel in the form of dead wood that would have burned in previous fires.
Whether or not I've ever fought a forest fire is not important.
Isn't it interesting that many people are willing to justify cost of fighting fires to protect homes built in fire areas, but aren't as willing to bear the costs of flooding when folks build along rivers or in low areas such as New Orleans? I'm sure we can all well remember the calls of "Let 'em drown" when NO went under, but who's now saying, "Let 'em burn?" It's the same thing, isn't it?
Oh I understand all too well. I've fought many forest fires [I wonder if YOU have ever done so or just sit back and watch?] Too many times the wood that can be used to warm houses in the winter or build things is destroyed so aren't the lives of wildlife that didn't get out of the way.
THAT idea was tried in Yellowstone. they let it burn for a month unchecked and never stopped untill manpower and aircraft was used to put it out [I believe they lost several homes and almost lost an historic lodge there]
If forests are allowed to burn as nature intended, the 'wood' to build houses or heat them is not destroyed, in fact it is enhanced by burning out the underbrush on a fairly routine basis. Several species of trees also depend on fire to facilitate the growth, and the spreading of seeds for the next generation of trees.
The problem is the firefighting efforts allow the underbrush, dead fall, and duff to accumulate to the point the fires are too hot an kill the mature trees, messing with what mother nature intended.
OBTW, I've fought many a forest fire as a volunteer firefighter for 31 years, but even so, your questioning someone else if they had ever fought a forest fire is out of line. The fact you would make such a statement really causes me pause to ask if you were a trained firefighter or wildland firefighter, or just a desperate home owner trying to protect your stuff.
Isn't it interesting that many people are willing to justify cost of fighting fires to protect homes built in fire areas, but aren't as willing to bear the costs of flooding when folks build along rivers or in low areas such as New Orleans? I'm sure we can all well remember the calls of "Let 'em drown" when NO went under, but who's now saying, "Let 'em burn?" It's the same thing, isn't it?
Look at the difference, the houses built in fire areas, who lives in them? elitists, who lives in housing areas like New Orleans, us peons.
There is no cure for the perils of life. People will live where they want to whether it is "smart" or not. Think of how many people live along fault lines, tornado alley, or the world's volcano belt.
The best that anyone can do is take precautions if they live in an area where natural disaster can occur. For instance, if you want to live in the woods it would be a good idea not to keep too many dead trees or underbrush near your home. It would be a good idea to think about which direction the prevailing winds blow and keep your land accordingly. If you have no control over the land beyond your property line then maybe you should find another place to live.
It would be a good idea to understand what fire is capable of before you buy. However, I lived in San Francisco for ten years. I always thought that if I died there as a result of an earthquake I will have lived happily in a place I absolutely adored until my last day.
I was in San Francisco for a visit to my cousins and aunt and had a very good time. We flew over Los Angeles and saw thousands of swimming pools, and lots of smog. Since then, the air has gotten a lot cleaner according to pictures I've seen.
Anyway, I know there will be an earthquake some day, it's just a matter of time. I'd hate to see the Golden Gate Bridge go down...It looks a lot better in person than any picture I've seen.
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