"California's Wildfires Have Spawned a Truly Weird New" Topic

…. Conspiracy Theory

"This month, California has been gripped by three devastating wildfires: Northern California's Camp Fire, which recently became the deadliest in the state's history, and, in Southern California, the Woolsey and Hill Fires. An emerging, deeply weird conspiracy theory holds that those fires aren't caused by wind patterns, brutally dry conditions, the worsening effects of climate change, or possible downed power lines, but by a sinister scheme directed by nefarious elements within the government.

The claim, being taken up by an increasing number of people in QAnon circles, is that the fires are caused by "directed energy weapons"—that is, government-directed lasers bent on destroying homes, property, and lives. And if recent history is any judge, there's a chance the country's biggest conspiracy-peddlers, up to and including the one who lives in the White House, will take up the cause…."
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Amicalement
Armand

Yea, that must be it.

Couldn't be the far more plausible, careless smokers who throw their cigarettes/cig butts out the window since they don't want them in their ash tray.

Those are the ones that start most of the fires around where I live. You can tell by where they are located, alongside the roads and freeways. I have empirical evidence of this, since I've seen numerous people throw them out right in front of me.

They should be imprisoned for that.

"An emerging, deeply weird conspiracy theory holds that those fires aren't caused by wind patterns, brutally dry conditions, the worsening effects of climate change, or possible downed power lines, but by a sinister scheme directed by nefarious elements within the government."

I see it more as the abandonment of proven forest management practices at the behest of eco groups that don't want any human presence in "natural" areas at all. So yes, the politicians are probably the ones to blame…

Zwphyr1

I heard on the news yesterday that 130 million (yes, million) tress died in California between 2010 and 2017 due to the drought and some kind of infestation.

Why wasn't anyone logging out the dead wood instead of letting remain as kindling? It's not like forest fires are unheard of!

Occam! Go fetch that blasted razor!

May also be the work of a Spark/arsonist. It is unfortunate that such people exist and it is not unheard of happening in California. I grew up in Southern California and wildfires are common, an ecological event that is recurring. As a young boy I remember watching B-17's used as water bombers. Proper landscaping and building materials can help reduce the effect of such disasters, but, anyone that lives there is still subject to the facts that the climate, fauna and people create.

And if recent history is any judge, there's a chance the country's biggest conspiracy-peddlers, up to and including the one who lives in the White House, will take up the cause…."
And now it's time for you to take a little break from the keyboard my friend. Your TDS has become chronic I'm afraid.

"Why wasn't anyone logging out the dead wood instead of letting remain as kindling? It's not like forest fires are unheard of!".

Because some/many people here don't want them to, and they have more clout than others, in Sac, apparently.

Same reason we don't have any water for the population, since you can't build reservoirs because that will affect the environment.

It should really get fun, when the new guy is in charge.

Yeah, there's billions for the train to nowhere but not much left for responsible forest management, desalinization plants, or new reservoirs. Looks as though Cali needs to start electing some adults to take charge of things.

No offense guys, but for reservoirs to be effective there needs to be water to be collected. Kind of hard to do since California has been in drought for years.

No offense guys, but for reservoirs to be effective there needs to be water to be collected. Kind of hard to do since California has been in drought for years.

I take offense. California gets enough rain in our wet seasons to last through the *completely predictable* dry years. Last year our drought was broken by an "atmospheric river" of rain that was so strong that a major dam almost failed.

But why did that dam almost fail? Ahh…because the CA government has not bothered to properly maintain our water infrastructure and the Oroville Dam was vulnerable to failure. And that dam is still not fixed!

Moreover, the CA government -- -- has not only decided *not* to expand our reservoir and water capture/storage system, but has actually *demolished* x23 dams and any associated reservoir systems since 2000 to meet their environmental ideological goals.

We've had tons of rain in the last two years, which could have filled them up.

Uh, there just aren't "forests" in the area of the Southern California fires. It's dead brush. If you clear it all out, which is as easy as boiling the ocean, you kill all of the animals over a few thousand square miles. Then, the lack of root systems hands you enormous mudslides in the rainy season.

In any case, the fire fighters are just shocked by the "forest management" accusations because of how nonsensical they are to professionals.

SBminisguy, there is a concept of political seppuku.

SF Media is not the place to discuss state-level politics.

So Emckinney what you are saying is the problem is as always too Many people living in the wrong area.

If you decide to live in a Brush or woodland environment you must face the truth that it will Burn Someday.

Fire insurance is to cheap and should take into consideration the insurer choice of living in a flammable environment.

One of CA main problem is the uses of fast growing plants to stabilize hillsides after fires. These are non native plants in most cases. Example Eucilipse trees, which when they dry out become creosote bombs.

Most of CA forest uses to be logged and this provide both a manpower source and logging road that could be used as fire breaks.

BY stopping the removing of fuel from the forest, you start a clock to the next fire. As People move into the forest area, where before it was mostly summer cabins, now it is $1,000,000 USD+++ homes. The cost of a fire skyrockets.

Owner don't keep their House areas cleared of brush & Trees, So Fire will easily devastate a property.

Alos Firefighter have to spend their time fighting to save houses instead of containing the fire.

So your right CA should buy all up the properties and not allow anymore building in there areas.

Actually you let these areas burn. For thousands of years natural fires kept the forests and brushy areas clear of unwanted material and vegetation. The decision by man to fight these fires is what is causing the build up of unwanted material and vegetation. Let mother nature run her course and you will have healthier forests and grass lands.

Why haven't we logged out 130 million trees? Because there are 130 million trees! Trees get logged out seven days a week, but there are simply too many. Plus, many are in hard to get to locations. And the bark-beetle infestation is not just in California, but extends up into Alaska, and is spreading east across the Rockies. There are Billions of dead trees out there.

And if you want to get shirty about California's "bad management", you should know that the Federal Government owns 40% of the "wildlands" in California, including most of the forested areas.

There will always be conspiracy theories a la' 'The X-Files' be it wildfires or hurricanes.

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The Native Americans (all over the continent) used to control burn forest areas. It removed the deadwood, allowed new growth, which attracted animals (which made hunting easier. ;-) There was even a news story recently where a tribe had to sue to clear their own land (they won), as it was actually part of their tribal traditions.