Fire watch

[BritDownUnder]

The thing I found interesting was the cars all abandoned, on Sunset Boulevard apparently, by people fleeing their homes then fleeing the fires that surrounded their gridlocked cars These cars then had to be removed by a bulldozer so the fire engines could get through.

Photo courtesy of (shock horrror!!!!!) the Daily Mail.



I don't know about you but I would like to push an Audi out the way with a bulldozer as they are mainly driven by w**kers.

[clv101]

I don't know about you but I would like to push an Audi out the way with a bulldozer as they are mainly driven by w**kers.

Yeah, it's weird how that's changed over the last 20 years. In the past Audi drivers tended to be quite reasonable, these days they've surpassed even BMW drivers.

[UndercoverElephant]

The satellite photos of Los Angeles are something else. It looks like the Great Fire of London. Babylon is burning.

I just saw an interview on the BBC. It was with a guy who had saved his own home from the last fire by dousing it with a hose. Oh...and his "other five homes". My heart bleeds purple shit. Let it all burn to the ground. Nobody needs 6 houses.

[mr brightside]

I don't know about you but I would like to push an Audi out the way with a bulldozer as they are mainly driven by w**kers.

Yeah, it's weird how that's changed over the last 20 years. In the past Audi drivers tended to be quite reasonable, these days they've surpassed even BMW drivers.

For so many reasons Audis are now a car to avoid, unless it's a B3 or older.

[clv101]

John Vaillant's book Fire Weather is *the* book to read to understand wildfires in the US urban environment.

[adam2]

As with many previous fires, in some areas the main fuel appears to have been not natural vegetation, but homes, vehicles and the contents thereof. A number of views show building totally destroyed, whilst trees are still standing and only a bit scorched.

In my view the following actions would help and should be required.

Require that all new construction be of fire resistant materials. walls of brick, stone, or concrete. No more timber frames and plastic or wooden cladding. Roofs to be covered with tiles, slates or metal, no more wood or bitumen shingles.

Require that all new construction has an emergency fire fighting water supply of at least 100 cubic meters, combined with a swimming pool if desired. Increase in proportion for larger premises.

Increased numbers of firefighters and equipment. Consider use of convict labour in addition. Fighting fires in the open is not that hard, but needs a lot of manpower, and vast amounts of hose and pumps.

[BritDownUnder]

As with many previous fires, in some areas the main fuel appears to have been not natural vegetation, but homes, vehicles and the contents thereof. A number of views show building totally destroyed, whilst trees are still standing and only a bit scorched.

In my view the following actions would help and should be required.

Require that all new construction be of fire resistant materials. walls of brick, stone, or concrete. No more timber frames and plastic or wooden cladding. Roofs to be covered with tiles, slates or metal, no more wood or bitumen shingles.

Require that all new construction has an emergency fire fighting water supply of at least 100 cubic meters, combined with a swimming pool if desired. Increase in proportion for larger premises.

Increased numbers of firefighters and equipment. Consider use of convict labour in addition. Fighting fires in the open is not that hard, but needs a lot of manpower, and vast amounts of hose and pumps.

They are an earthquake zone which may affect the choice of walls but no reason not to have steel roofs not bitumen soaked shingles. From what I understand in Australian bushfires houses get caught by so called 'ember attack'. The embers get into the roof space and get in through shattered windows. Steel shutters can defend windows and roof spaces can be protected by metal gauze.

I agree with the water supply things you mentioned. Some Australian properties have sprinkler systems powered by petrol or diesel engines from a water source.

Also natural vegetation near houses (let's say 1km or less) should be correctly managed, it should be cleared/thinned/pruned and mulched annually and trees not allowed to grow too much. Convicts makes sense.

[emordnilap]

Whilst pity for the people whose lives are lost comes first, I think one shame is the certainty of works of art being lost, owned by the mega-rich whose houses have burned.

Apart from that, Palestine is the greater tragedy by far. But hey!

[adam2]

It is now stated that the ongoing fire disaster in LA is the "most expensive ever" When rebuilding starts, one might hope that fire resistant construction and fire fighting water supplies are required for all new construction.
As well as firefighting water supplies in the grounds of all new structures it sounds as though piped water supplies need substantial improvements to better prepare for the next fire.
In some areas it might be worth installing TWO water main systems , one of drinking quality for general domestic purposes and a second system of "fire mains" that would supply clean fresh water but not treated to drinking water standards. The fire mains could sensibly operate at a higher pressure than the domestic water supplies. This would allow effective fire fighting by use of hose connected directly to the fire hydrants and not requiring a fire engine. a very substantial water reserve would be required to feed the fire mains, this could perhaps serve as a boating lake or ornamental water feature between fires.

[mr brightside]

It is now stated that the ongoing fire disaster in LA is the "most expensive ever" When rebuilding starts, one might hope that fire resistant construction and fire fighting water supplies are required for all new construction.

These were my thoughts. They are going to have to have a massive rethink about building control, and a massive reshuffle if politicians start blocking the process. They are going to have to consider fire propagation rates through everything, even plants in the area, and oily plants like what you get a lot of in Aus need banning. The good news is that with all the readies those twats have there shouldn't be much of a problem paying for it. It will be interesting to see what order of magnitude faster the place gets put back together compared to areas hit by Katrina.

[adam2]

News reports state that convict labour HAS been used to assist in firefighting in LA. Sounds a good idea, some of the convict firefighters have expressed an interest in joining the fire department after serving their sentence.

[mr brightside]

News reports state that convict labour HAS been used to assist in firefighting in LA. Sounds a good idea, some of the convict firefighters have expressed an interest in joining the fire department after serving their sentence.

Interesting. I once suggested convict labour to fix potholes in this country, which prompted someone to then blame me for Ludwig leaving PS. I'm strongly in favour of convict labour as a type of reform.