Yes, I am going to go there.
I am sympathetic to the plight of Californians right now. No one should have to suffer through the fires they are experiencing. However, I am not going to stand idly by and allow the usual politicizing by the usual suspects without comment.
Governor Moonbeam wants to blame the problem on "Climate Change." The man proves, with each and every utterance he makes, what an imbecile he is. But hey, Californians elected him, so they have to deal with the results. What he refuses to talk about and what the media prefers to keep quiet, is how HIS policies have contributed to the problem.
Now let me be clear, there are some points that need to be made right up front. Can forest fires/wildfires be prevented? NO, they cannot. Whether it is because of stupid people flipping cigarettes out car windows, not putting out a campfire, or arson, fires are going to occur, because people, being people, are stupid and often do not think about the potential consequences of their actions. And police and forest rangers cannot be everywhere all the time to prevent such acts.
Can mother nature be controlled, so as to prevent these fires? NO, she cannot. Lightning is not something that man has yet learned how to control. Nothing we do and no laws that we pass can prevent lightning-caused fires from happening.
Now, having made those points the logical follow-up question seems to me to be, "Can we do anything to mitigate the effects of these fires on the countryside and especially on residential areas?" To this I would say, Yes! I believe, as do others who know more about such matters than I do, that the damage created by these fires can be curtailed and fighting them can be made easier and less dangerous. People for years, way before Trump came along and commented on it, have stated that being able to clear dead trees, debris, and undergrowth can help to remove much of the tinder that helps these fires spread so rapidly and far-reaching.
It is people like Jerry Brown who, for reasons that most rational people cannot fathom, have placed restrictions on just such efforts. We are told that it is to protect the environment or to maintain a more "pristine" setting. That sounds wonderful doesn't it? Until it's your house in the path of a fire. Just know that there are things that can be done to reduce the damage and death caused by these fires. Whether those things are actually done or not apparently depends on your politics. How very sad.
