Let’s talk about…California Wildfires
Editor
Unprecedented wildfires have swept the Los Angeles area over the last few days, destroying neighbourhoods and threatening landmarks.
The BBC is helpfully keeping a running tally of the number of celebrities whose homes have burned down.
This is the first time in recorded history that wildfires of this scale have occurred in California in January, according to an expert quoted in the New Scientist:
“While Santa Ana fires are nothing new in southern California, this type of explosive fire event has never happened in January before, and it’s only happened once in December,” says Crystal Kolden at the University of California, Merced.
There has been no official word on what started the fires as yet, although officials from the California Fire Service claimed that 95% of wildfires in California are started by humans.
But, however they started – and as with other wildfires in recent history – we have to ask if this situation was fostered through inaction.
It’s well documented that – under the guise of “environmentalism” – authorities in California have refused to clear brush or cut fire breaks in woodland, even after four months of drought.
It’s also reported that fire hydrants were running dry, allegedly due to the aforementioned drought.
Then there’s the more-than-suspicious story that insurance companies began spontaneously cancelling home insurance policies in the affected areas of Los Angeles months ago.
All of which paints a picture of some kind of intentionality, doesn’t it?
But ignore all that, it was probably climate change causing “hydroclimate whiplash”, right?
Discuss in the comments below.
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While the fires seem to have a set quality to them, and watching the Mrs put on Sky “News” where they did “investigative reporting from the ground” where they were blackballing the woman they have as LA’s Mayor and “getting to the barebones of whom is to blame”, it was pretty easy to spot some of this as an op, I mean when ever does SKY “news” do any “investigative reporting”? Oh right never. And the readymade patsy effect was also super lame, but I did read this the other day, it’s from the last time Malibu etc burned down in 2018: https://longreads.com/2018/12/04/the-case-for-letting-malibu-burn/
I also do get this dreadful feeling of repitition, kind of like Maui all over again, or like when there was a “supply shortage” because of the whole Evergreen thing then later we got a “supply shortage because of the Houtis”.
But fuckit what do I know, so far the 2025 “news cycle” is pretty unfunny and drab(not that a giant fire where thousands of people lose their homes could be that funny anyway), kind of wish I had just kept taking mdma and lsd after new years eve, kept the party going and said to hell with it all!
This is a big example why private investor owned insurance is a waste.
We should have a national pool of money where people pay into based on risk.
In cases of building in dangerous areas, the cost would be sky high.
Good, because if the wealthy want to self insure their house on the edge of the water or other possibly dangerous area, it should be their risk.
Insurance as it is also masks the importance of maintenance to prevent disasters.
California slacked on this because they knew that insurance would take care of it.
It’s funny because they forgot that insurance rates are based on what is paid out….
A national insurance pool would incentivize reducing risk by spending money to prevent damage from these disasters.
Definitely intentional, cause waves of chaos to terrify and desensitize