Almost forty years ago (March, 1968) , my first impression of Southern California was that house seemed built in places that would burn and wash away in heavy rain storms. I was in La Jolla just long enough to realize that my first impression had merit. Just hiking around the place revealed how easily the place would burn. However, the same is true of where I live in Louisiana. A

Blaise (imported) wrote: Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:24 pm stand of trees next to my apartment

could burn quickly in a dry period. The apartment would probably not survive.

Obviously, there are ways to build houses that ought not to burn as quickly as some houses do burn. I have read about some techniques and these are not as complex as the ones I made up in my imagination. I recall some analysis some years ago in Oakland after major fires hit the city.

Blaise (imported) wrote: Thu Oct 25, 2007 8:49 pm Almost forty years ago (March, 1968) , my first impression of Southern California was that house seemed built in places that would burn and wash away in heavy rain storms. I was in La Jolla just long enough to realize that my first impression had merit. Just hiking around the place revealed how easily the place would burn. However, the same is true of where I live in Louisiana. A

Blaise (imported) wrote: Thu Oct 25, 2007 8:49 pm 3221440]
stand of trees next to my apartment

could burn quickly in a dry period. The apartment would probably not survive.

Obviously, there are ways to build houses that ought not to burn as quickly as some houses do burn. I have read about some techniques and these are not as complex as the ones I made up in my imagination. I recall some analysis som
[/quote]
e years ago in Oakland after major fires hit the city.

Eventually, I would like to build myself a house out of Rastra, a product manufacturered down by Huevon's house - somewhere near there anyway. Extruded polystyrene beading mixed with cement to form building structures that are interlaced with re-bar reinforced concrete columns and beams inside them. Extraordinarily strong, comparable in cost to stick build houses, virtually fireproof, highly hurricane and tornado resistant, extremely high R-values. Awesome stuff. Google up Rastra USA. That takes care of the fire part. Build a rastra house on a hillside in California, it can still slide. 1 of 2 and trying.

kristoff wrote: Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:31 pm Eventually, I would like to build myself a house out of Rastra, a product manufacturered down by Huevon's house - somewhere near there anyway. Extruded polystyrene beading mixed with cement to form building structures that are interlaced with re-bar reinforced concrete columns and beams inside them. Extraordinarily strong, comparable in cost to stick build houses, virtually fireproof, highly hurricane and tornado resistant, extremely high R-values. Awesome stuff. Google up Rastra USA. That takes care of the fire part. Build a rastra house on a hillside in California, it can still slide. 1 of 2 and trying.

Thanks. The way we build houses now just amazes me. We build houses that fall apart in wind, wash away, and burn too easily. When entire neighborhoods disappear in a moment, something seems crazy.

In New Orleans, we endure flooding even in ordinary storms. In Southern California, the conditions for wild fires are frequent. I notice that Cajun people frequently clear all the trees from near their houses. That is because they have learned from fires and storms to build barriers.

Riverwind, don't worry, I understand and took your words in the spirit they were intended.

Yeah, it sems houses these days are built about as sturdy as a house of cards. Perhaps there should be an upgrade of building codes with emphasis on specific requirements for areas that are prone to known disasters.

I would like to note that while people in California have evacuated to a stadium, there have been none of the problems experienced in New Orleans when Katrina hit. Oh, bother, nobody wants to address this one.

Taylor (imported) wrote: Fri Oct 26, 2007 7:27 am Riverwind, don't worry, I understand and took your words in the spirit they were intended.

Yeah, it sems houses these days are built about as sturdy as a house of cards. Perhaps there should be an upgrade of building codes with emphasis on specific requirements for areas that are prone to known disasters.

I would like to note that while people in California have evacuated to a stadium, there have been none of the problems experienced in New Orleans when Katrina hit. Oh, bother, nobody wants to address this one.

I work in a department store in a ghetto mall. Black people know that we have special problems that are like those we had in New Orleans. Last night a customer told me about thieves leaving the store by my customer service center. I know that this happens frequently. I am so busy that I cannot monitor who leaves with merchandise. But this is only part of the problem during the hurricane.

Tonight on Glen Beck I think he is going to talk about thies fires and the possabality some might be the work of terrorists.I have often feared this myself and wouldent put anything past thies guys.

As i write the President is landing in San Diego! Should I feel safe? Governor Arnold has been in San Diego since Tuesday making the rounds, shaking hands with people at the evacuation centers, talking to the media and cutting through red tape.

The air is still crappy, and i have had bad headaches since Monday. I live right on the coast in San Diego and on Monday we had 6% humidity and for San Diego that is a very rare event.

They just announced that all air traffic is grounded while the President is in San Diego...even the fire fighting helicopters. When the President landed the entire military base was locked down and people were stuck were ever they happened to be until Bush left the base.

Slowly things are returning to normal. Many businesses were closed for the last three days.

There is still some fires burning, and a few areas have been put under mandatory evacuation. However, many areas have been opened for people to return. In order to go home you have to be able to prove you live there or you will not be aloud in. Also for areas that have not been opened, they started escorting people into potentially dangerous areas to there homes so people can get a few things...they have five minutes then police escort them back out.

Animal control has been out in force since Monday catching stray animals, retreating pets left behind, etc....

Everyone from Walmart to Petco have donated massive amounts of products to the evacuated, and all i can say is "Can i have some?" really, really broke.

Well the President and Governor Arnold have left in Presidential helicopters for a look at the damage.

Maybe we learned lessons from Katrina. For example, the director of FEMA is now a professional person, expert with disaster problems. But Louisiana is still a disgrace.

Louisiana is a mess. I have lived her since 1977. We elect hacks, crooks, and ideologues. Baton Rouge has a capable mayor who was in office during Katrina. He performed well. But he is an exception. I worked for seven years in government in New Orleans. I know what a bunch of clowns and incompetents ran the place when I worked for them.

New Orleans had a nice mayor who spent the day before the storm hit playing a bit part in a movie. The governor of Louisiana is a nice woman who acted with almost complete incompetence.

The newly elected governor is a jerk. He is a right-wing ideologue, who took money from every special interest group that runs Louisiana. I don't expect much from him.

Maybe, I am a bit unkind to government. I now work for a major retail company. The people in Texas who run J. C. Penney remind me of the people who run Louisiana government.

kristoff wrote: Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:31 pm Eventually, I would like to build myself a house out of Rastra, a product manufacturered down by Huevon's house - somewhere near there anyway. Extruded polystyrene beading mixed with cement to form building structures that are interlaced with re-bar reinforced concrete columns and beams inside them. Extraordinarily strong, comparable in cost to stick build houses, virtually fireproof, highly hurricane and tornado resistant, extremely high R-values. Awesome stuff. Google up Rastra USA. That takes care of the fire part. Build a rastra house on a hillside in California, it can still slide. 1 of 2 and trying.

....RASTA (http://www.swagga.com/ganga.htm)....What??!

Maybe the Ganja butts started the fire...

...Sag111, Riddle me this.

If God sends the rain on the just and the unjust to whom does he send the fire?

Actually the problem with this whole entire southwestern region of the United States is that it has always been very prone to periodic burns which are sometimes minor and sometimes major. During the American revolution in the east (1776) this entire region was up in flames from southern California on up into Wyoming. And this phenomenon has been backed up by historical researchers and climatologists. Part of the climatolgical explanation for this is that el nino winds feed a lot of brush with superficial rains and then when we enter a period of la nina (which we have a short while ago) then dry winds sometimes fierce seem to "attack" this region. As for those large stick houses out in the woods is concerned well I guess they make somebody some money. I suppose.