A tiny pest helped stoke this year’s devastating wildfires

[cnm]

...sometimes it is easy to overlook the not so obvious...

How much are beetles to blame for 2020 fires?

It’s not just hot, dry conditions and fire suppression that has exacerbated 2020's western fires. There’s also the attack of the beetles to consider.

www.nationalgeographic.com

The photos and news from the past month’s devastating fires across parts of the West—charred towns, dramatic helicopter rescues, apocalyptic skies—have provoked fear, anger, and an understandable search for blame. It’s clear that fires are getting worse. But why? Scientists point to a number of reasons. Hotter and drier conditions brought on by climate change can prime vegetation to burn, and decades of fire suppression have allowed fuel to accumulate in forests. Millions of people now live closer to those dry forests than ever. And then there is the matter of the beetles.
There are 600 species of bark beetles in the United States, and they’ve evolved with their various host trees over millennia. Many bark beetles infest already dead or dying trees, but some, like the mountain pine beetle, attack living ones. The mountain pine beetle alone has killed roughly 100,000 square miles of trees across western North America over the past 20 years, from New Mexico all the way up to northern British Columbia. Climate change has instigated this dramatic spread, by eliminating the cold spells that kill off the beetles and by leaving the trees stressed by drought, unable to defend themselves.

Yea, it has nothing to do with your Antifa friends:

Jesus. The rubes really do suck down that Kool Aid. It's amazing to observe.

 

[Leo123]

California environmentalists oppose bark beetle eradication. Several lumber companies have offered to remove the dead trees and replant. Environmentalists accused them of clearcutting forests for profit. Spraying is completely opposed. Cleaning away any dead brush is prohibited.

Sadly for California forests resort to self help as fire destroys the dead trees AND kills the beetles
Healthy forests burn occasionally. It's the way forests clean themselves.

Even Native Americans used to have proscribed burns. Apparently the National Forest Service doesn't know the difference between a proscribed burn and their 'let it burn' policy for wildfires. Environmental stupidity has run amok in our national forests and in CA maintained forests. Environmentalists don't even want folks to live in rural areas so they have a 'burn them out' policy. Many rural homeowners in CA are now having trouble getting home insurance because of these fires which, I'm sure, the environmentalists love to hear.

 

[Leo123]

True. So by the same token, you can't just assume it is arson.

But I think you miss the point in that last sentence. It's not that they "cause" the fires. It's that they are factors that lead to more intense and difficult to contain fires.

For example did you read how one type of beetle changes tree chemistry and moisture content, leading to increased crown fires?

We have always had beetles and dry conditions. Much of CA has always been dry and prone to drought. Logging used to help with that by removing dead trees and keeping the forest fuel load at a minimum. Today if you go into a national forest you will see sometimes at least a foot or two or more of dead debris on the forest floor. Loggers had fire fighting equipment and, above all, one of the best tools, large dozers. Those are all gone now and the national forest service has scant fire fighting equipment due to their 'let it burn' policies.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Because the poster asked about what the parents were doing. But frankly, I would take evidence showing 4 out of of those fires were arson.

But if it's only three, you'll reject it.

{

Four have been arrested on suspicion of arson in West Coast areas already under seige from major destructive and deadly blazes, according to reports.

As wildfires continue to rage across three states, police investigated separate incidents near existing wildfires. Two men in Washington state, one man in Oregon and one woman in California are facing charges, according to the Daily Wire.

The latest reports suggest that at least 20 people have died in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state as firefighters struggle to contain already deadly fires.

WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON: AT LEAST 15 DEAD, 16 MISSING AS BLAZES CONTINUE IN WEST

Ashland, Ore., Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday that a criminal investigation was opened into the cause of the Almeda fire calling the circumstances around the fire 'suspicious'.

The fire sparked in Ashland Tuesday and although it mostly spared the Oregon Shakespeare Festival town, the blaze has killed two people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

}

Authorities arrest 4 in connection to possible arson, fires along West Coast

Authorities began criminal investigations on Thursday, making arrests the following day.

www.foxnews.com

California burns every fall. I've lived here my whole life - every single fall. Firebugs are as often as not the root cause of fires. Would you agree that arsonists should face the death penalty?

Ok...so you are posting on four arrestees...but none are as of yet associated with the ongoing fires (and none are Antifa)...even if they are guilty of starting one of them, there are dozens of fires. 4 out of dozens is not 4 out of 5 fires being arson. You have not supported your claim.

Learn to read Comrade, ALL are associated with the recent fires. 3 are not ANTIFA, one might be, or might not be - all are firebugs associated with the fires.

 

[Uncensored2008]

True. So by the same token, you can't just assume it is arson.

But I think you miss the point in that last sentence. It's not that they "cause" the fires. It's that they are factors that lead to more intense and difficult to contain fires.

For example did you read how one type of beetle changes tree chemistry and moisture content, leading to increased crown fires?

We have always had beetles and dry conditions. Much of CA has always been dry and prone to drought. Logging used to help with that by removing dead trees and keeping the forest fuel load at a minimum. Today if you go into a national forest you will see sometimes at least a foot or two or more of dead debris on the forest floor. Loggers had fire fighting equipment and, above all, one of the best tools, large dozers. Those are all gone now and the national forest service has scant fire fighting equipment due to their 'let it burn' policies.

In the summer of '75 I volunteered with the National Forrest Service in the Angeles National Forrest above Azusa to clear out dead pines that had been attacked by bark beetles. The difference is that back then we would cut and clear the dead trees - now the moron Marxist outlaw it.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Because the poster asked about what the parents were doing. But frankly, I would take evidence showing 4 out of of those fires were arson.

But if it's only three, you'll reject it.

{

Four have been arrested on suspicion of arson in West Coast areas already under seige from major destructive and deadly blazes, according to reports.

As wildfires continue to rage across three states, police investigated separate incidents near existing wildfires. Two men in Washington state, one man in Oregon and one woman in California are facing charges, according to the Daily Wire.

The latest reports suggest that at least 20 people have died in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state as firefighters struggle to contain already deadly fires.

WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON: AT LEAST 15 DEAD, 16 MISSING AS BLAZES CONTINUE IN WEST

Ashland, Ore., Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday that a criminal investigation was opened into the cause of the Almeda fire calling the circumstances around the fire 'suspicious'.

The fire sparked in Ashland Tuesday and although it mostly spared the Oregon Shakespeare Festival town, the blaze has killed two people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

}

Authorities arrest 4 in connection to possible arson, fires along West Coast

Authorities began criminal investigations on Thursday, making arrests the following day.

www.foxnews.com

California burns every fall. I've lived here my whole life - every single fall. Firebugs are as often as not the root cause of fires. Would you agree that arsonists should face the death penalty?

Ok...so you are posting on four arrestees...but none are as of yet associated with the ongoing fires (and none are Antifa)...even if they are guilty of starting one of them, there are dozens of fires. 4 out of dozens is not 4 out of 5 fires being arson. You have not supported your claim.

Hey Comrade, you might enjoy this;

Gov. Newsom releases new plan

On Friday, October 2nd, 2020 California Governor Gavin Newsom left his opulent mansion after being dressed by a host of servants and butlers in a caravan of several dozen Black SUV's and driven to Sacramento RIP Airport where he boarded a twin turbine Sikorsky "Sky Master" helicopter and was...

www.usmessageboard.com

Or probably not, commies have no sense of humor...

 

[Coyote]

Because the poster asked about what the parents were doing. But frankly, I would take evidence showing 4 out of of those fires were arson.

But if it's only three, you'll reject it.

{

Four have been arrested on suspicion of arson in West Coast areas already under seige from major destructive and deadly blazes, according to reports.

As wildfires continue to rage across three states, police investigated separate incidents near existing wildfires. Two men in Washington state, one man in Oregon and one woman in California are facing charges, according to the Daily Wire.

The latest reports suggest that at least 20 people have died in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state as firefighters struggle to contain already deadly fires.

WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON: AT LEAST 15 DEAD, 16 MISSING AS BLAZES CONTINUE IN WEST

Ashland, Ore., Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday that a criminal investigation was opened into the cause of the Almeda fire calling the circumstances around the fire 'suspicious'.

The fire sparked in Ashland Tuesday and although it mostly spared the Oregon Shakespeare Festival town, the blaze has killed two people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

}

Authorities arrest 4 in connection to possible arson, fires along West Coast

Authorities began criminal investigations on Thursday, making arrests the following day.

www.foxnews.com

California burns every fall. I've lived here my whole life - every single fall. Firebugs are as often as not the root cause of fires. Would you agree that arsonists should face the death penalty?

Ok...so you are posting on four arrestees...but none are as of yet associated with the ongoing fires (and none are Antifa)...even if they are guilty of starting one of them, there are dozens of fires. 4 out of dozens is not 4 out of 5 fires being arson. You have not supported your claim.

Learn to read Comrade, ALL are associated with the recent fires. 3 are not ANTIFA, one might be, or might not be - all are firebugs associated with the fires.

I did read.

One guy Michael Jarrod Bakkela, is associated with the Almeda fire.

#2 Anita Esquivel "was arrested in Monterey County, Calif., after starting fires near Highway 101, though the number of fires was not released, according to KION."...not seeing her associated with any big fires.

From - Man arrested on arson allegation in wildfire west of Eugene, deputies say
Elias Newton Pendergrass is accused of first-degree arson in the Sweet Creek Milepost 2 fire, which covers 382 acres near the community of Mapleton. Pendergrass, a Mapleton resident, is being held in the Lane County Jail.

That's a big fire.

So...even if the 4th was - that's 3 out of dozens of fires. It's not 4 out of 5 fires.

None are Antifa.

 

[eagle1462010]

Fires will happen there whether by arson or natural..........thousands of fires there every year.........you can go to cal fire site and see the thousands.

Only difference...........is that policy has left dense forests..........unhealthy forests........full of dead trees with a serious bug problem..............

So when it burns.............it's an INFERNO.......because a unhealthy fire burns EVERYTHING.....including to tops of trees due to too many trees, with so many of them dead.

LEARN OR BURN........kinda too late on the burn thing...........Mother Nature is teaching the lessen.

 

[HaShev]

...sometimes it is easy to overlook the not so obvious...

How much are beetles to blame for 2020 fires?

It’s not just hot, dry conditions and fire suppression that has exacerbated 2020's western fires. There’s also the attack of the beetles to consider.

www.nationalgeographic.com

The photos and news from the past month’s devastating fires across parts of the West—charred towns, dramatic helicopter rescues, apocalyptic skies—have provoked fear, anger, and an understandable search for blame. It’s clear that fires are getting worse. But why? Scientists point to a number of reasons. Hotter and drier conditions brought on by climate change can prime vegetation to burn, and decades of fire suppression have allowed fuel to accumulate in forests. Millions of people now live closer to those dry forests than ever. And then there is the matter of the beetles.
There are 600 species of bark beetles in the United States, and they’ve evolved with their various host trees over millennia. Many bark beetles infest already dead or dying trees, but some, like the mountain pine beetle, attack living ones. The mountain pine beetle alone has killed roughly 100,000 square miles of trees across western North America over the past 20 years, from New Mexico all the way up to northern British Columbia. Climate change has instigated this dramatic spread, by eliminating the cold spells that kill off the beetles and by leaving the trees stressed by drought, unable to defend themselves.

Sorry the beetles didn't set the trees on fire otherwise you wouldn't call them bark beetles, you'd call them pyro beetles or Antifa.
If the beetles are a problem in Cali then why didn't they take their multi million dollar home property taxes and spray the base of the trees where their eggs sit and hatch? Oh that's right, they can't even spray the sidewalk poo, what makes us think infestation of beetles is more important then hairdresser appointments.

You ever try to spray 100,000 acres of trees?? For my ASH beetle problem, I've got to do injections or insecticide every 2 years for maybe the next decade.. That's a lot of work for 16 trees.

Bark beetles DONT set trees on fire.. MAN, Lightning, and PGE lines coming down do...

It's insecticide now or fire retardant or water later according to the OP blaming beetles.
Yes that's a lot of work as is putting out fires if that can have volunteers then put the hippies to work and get them to save the forests and volunteer.
Lightening was to blame for the previous fires and maybe one recent but most others during this one were arsons.

I think it is easy to ignore the interrelatedness of the causes of these events. It isn’t just the initial spark, it is all the other factors that go into turning an easily managed fire to a thousands of acres devastation.

When tree killing insects spread, weakening and killing trees, you are lookIng at thousands of acres of dead wood.

But certain insects do strange things to trees...

Key Findings

• Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) trees are chemically altered after mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) attacks. Trees dry out rapidly during the red stage and are more flammable than unaffected trees.
• Beetle attacks increase the emission rates of several highly flammable terpenes.
• The flammability of yellow and red trees is higher than green trees because they have (1) shorter times to ignition, (2) lower temperatures at ignition, and (3) higher heat yields.
• Needles of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) during the yellow stage of a spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) attack contain less moisture and are more flammable than unattacked trees.

Fire managers and firefighters should be aware of the possibility of increased potential for crown fire initiation in beetle-affected stands as well as the prospect for rapid changes in fire behavior as fires move in and out of beetle-affected areas.

Healthy trees can usually withstand fire and limit both it’s spread and intensity. Affected trees, or worse, large amounts of dead forest plus overly dry conditions and winds turn it from manageable to out of control.

I don’t understand why people it’s just one thing leading to a forest fire.

As to the claim most were arson, that is simply untrue. Arson is the deliberate setting of a fire (and every fire is automatically investigated for possible arson), most are human caused, but accidental, not intentional.

What started the fires?
Many fires were started because of human causes, including most of the fires in California. The El Dorado Fire in Southern California’s San Bernardino County was started on September 5 by a pyrotechnic device at a gender-reveal party in El Dorado Ranch Park, just 80 miles outside Los Angeles. In Oregon, officials have opened an arson investigation into the Alameda Fire, which is responsible for multiple deaths and has destroyed hundreds of homes.

However, some of the fires, including the August Complex Fire, were caused by lightning strikes in extremely dry areas. Others in Oregon and California were started by downed power lines. Unusually strong winds in Oregon have helped spread the fires rapidly there while typical winds in California were made even worse by a sudden winter snowstorm in the Rocky Mountains, which sent cold air blasting into the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges.

Multiple far-right and conspiracy websites have been spreading misinformation about the origin of the fires, on Facebook and YouTube especially. They claim, with absolutely no support, that they were set by members of antifa and Black Lives Matter. Websites the Gateway Pundit and the Post Millennial have claimed without evidence that Jeff Acord, a 36-year-old man arrested on charges of starting a fire in Washington, was an “antifa militant.” Many of the rumors have been amplified by self-professed QAnon supporters.

In my state, we are 78% forest. We have not seen forest fires such as have been engulfing the west. We have our share of flammable idiots and meth labs...but no devastating fires.

I am 7 miles from a state forest where I regularly hike my dogs. The paths are maintained And cleared, trail signage put up, and new shelters created largely by the fund raising and volunteer efforts of the “hippies” you disparage, because our state does not provide a lot of funding for park maintenance.

I know about the beetle problem, I had this conversation weeks ago, but these fires were 4 out of 5 arsons by people with bad parents. What are you doing to address absantee parents (who don't know what their kids are doing or who they are associating with) instead of absantee ballots.

Do you have any evidence to show 4 out 5 of these ongoing fires are arson by underage delinquents?

By memory they arrested 3-4 people for various fires in various regions in each of the 3 states, and I remember 1 was through lightening.

 

[HaShev]

Because the poster asked about what the parents were doing. But frankly, I would take evidence showing 4 out of of those fires were arson.

But if it's only three, you'll reject it.

{

Four have been arrested on suspicion of arson in West Coast areas already under seige from major destructive and deadly blazes, according to reports.

As wildfires continue to rage across three states, police investigated separate incidents near existing wildfires. Two men in Washington state, one man in Oregon and one woman in California are facing charges, according to the Daily Wire.

The latest reports suggest that at least 20 people have died in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state as firefighters struggle to contain already deadly fires.

WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON: AT LEAST 15 DEAD, 16 MISSING AS BLAZES CONTINUE IN WEST

Ashland, Ore., Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday that a criminal investigation was opened into the cause of the Almeda fire calling the circumstances around the fire 'suspicious'.

The fire sparked in Ashland Tuesday and although it mostly spared the Oregon Shakespeare Festival town, the blaze has killed two people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

}

Authorities arrest 4 in connection to possible arson, fires along West Coast

Authorities began criminal investigations on Thursday, making arrests the following day.

www.foxnews.com

California burns every fall. I've lived here my whole life - every single fall. Firebugs are as often as not the root cause of fires. Would you agree that arsonists should face the death penalty?

Ok...so you are posting on four arrestees...but none are as of yet associated with the ongoing fires (and none are Antifa)...even if they are guilty of starting one of them, there are dozens of fires. 4 out of dozens is not 4 out of 5 fires being arson. You have not supported your claim.

You keep forgeting your news sources are not gonna out Antifa because they utilize antifa in activist sister networks.
Here's a sample proof they are ordering their minions to set these fires:

 

[Coyote]

Because the poster asked about what the parents were doing. But frankly, I would take evidence showing 4 out of of those fires were arson.

But if it's only three, you'll reject it.

{

Four have been arrested on suspicion of arson in West Coast areas already under seige from major destructive and deadly blazes, according to reports.

As wildfires continue to rage across three states, police investigated separate incidents near existing wildfires. Two men in Washington state, one man in Oregon and one woman in California are facing charges, according to the Daily Wire.

The latest reports suggest that at least 20 people have died in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state as firefighters struggle to contain already deadly fires.

WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON: AT LEAST 15 DEAD, 16 MISSING AS BLAZES CONTINUE IN WEST

Ashland, Ore., Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday that a criminal investigation was opened into the cause of the Almeda fire calling the circumstances around the fire 'suspicious'.

The fire sparked in Ashland Tuesday and although it mostly spared the Oregon Shakespeare Festival town, the blaze has killed two people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

}

Authorities arrest 4 in connection to possible arson, fires along West Coast

Authorities began criminal investigations on Thursday, making arrests the following day.

www.foxnews.com

California burns every fall. I've lived here my whole life - every single fall. Firebugs are as often as not the root cause of fires. Would you agree that arsonists should face the death penalty?

Ok...so you are posting on four arrestees...but none are as of yet associated with the ongoing fires (and none are Antifa)...even if they are guilty of starting one of them, there are dozens of fires. 4 out of dozens is not 4 out of 5 fires being arson. You have not supported your claim.

You keep forgeting your news sources are not gonna out Antifa because they utilize antifa in activist sister networks.
Here's a sample proof they are ordering their minions to set these fires:

My news sources will provide whatever information is known about the fires. They dont tend to peddle conspiracy theories.

So...your "proof"..what is it exactly? Apparently, it is fake.

Suspended Twitter account inspires false antifa fire claims

Social media users are citing a Twitter account since suspended from the platform to falsely claim that anti-fascist act

www.politifact.com

 

[flacaltenn]

...sometimes it is easy to overlook the not so obvious...

How much are beetles to blame for 2020 fires?

It’s not just hot, dry conditions and fire suppression that has exacerbated 2020's western fires. There’s also the attack of the beetles to consider.

www.nationalgeographic.com

The photos and news from the past month’s devastating fires across parts of the West—charred towns, dramatic helicopter rescues, apocalyptic skies—have provoked fear, anger, and an understandable search for blame. It’s clear that fires are getting worse. But why? Scientists point to a number of reasons. Hotter and drier conditions brought on by climate change can prime vegetation to burn, and decades of fire suppression have allowed fuel to accumulate in forests. Millions of people now live closer to those dry forests than ever. And then there is the matter of the beetles.
There are 600 species of bark beetles in the United States, and they’ve evolved with their various host trees over millennia. Many bark beetles infest already dead or dying trees, but some, like the mountain pine beetle, attack living ones. The mountain pine beetle alone has killed roughly 100,000 square miles of trees across western North America over the past 20 years, from New Mexico all the way up to northern British Columbia. Climate change has instigated this dramatic spread, by eliminating the cold spells that kill off the beetles and by leaving the trees stressed by drought, unable to defend themselves.

Sorry the beetles didn't set the trees on fire otherwise you wouldn't call them bark beetles, you'd call them pyro beetles or Antifa.
If the beetles are a problem in Cali then why didn't they take their multi million dollar home property taxes and spray the base of the trees where their eggs sit and hatch? Oh that's right, they can't even spray the sidewalk poo, what makes us think infestation of beetles is more important then hairdresser appointments.

You ever try to spray 100,000 acres of trees?? For my ASH beetle problem, I've got to do injections or insecticide every 2 years for maybe the next decade.. That's a lot of work for 16 trees.

Bark beetles DONT set trees on fire.. MAN, Lightning, and PGE lines coming down do...

BUT bark beetles help create the conditions that turn a manageable fire into an out of control inferno.

My best bud in Cali inherited a cabin inside Yosemite park that we used to visit a couple times a year. Ranger Station was down the road. Inside NATIONAL parks they practice forest mgt. Not COMPLETELY clearing dead/down wood, but having the access to fight fires and being proactive with controlled burns. It's FAIRLY well managed around the valley -- not so much in the High Country..

So -- one year -- a controlled burn escapes containment. Took out COMPLETELY 2 ridges and a valley near Wawona road.. Also spread OUT the park into one of the gateway communities.
So in terrain and dense woods like that -- EVEN WITHOUT beetle damage -- there's no guarantee of a "manageable" wildfires if the wind/humidity/moisture is against you..

 

[Coyote]

...sometimes it is easy to overlook the not so obvious...

How much are beetles to blame for 2020 fires?

It’s not just hot, dry conditions and fire suppression that has exacerbated 2020's western fires. There’s also the attack of the beetles to consider.

www.nationalgeographic.com

The photos and news from the past month’s devastating fires across parts of the West—charred towns, dramatic helicopter rescues, apocalyptic skies—have provoked fear, anger, and an understandable search for blame. It’s clear that fires are getting worse. But why? Scientists point to a number of reasons. Hotter and drier conditions brought on by climate change can prime vegetation to burn, and decades of fire suppression have allowed fuel to accumulate in forests. Millions of people now live closer to those dry forests than ever. And then there is the matter of the beetles.
There are 600 species of bark beetles in the United States, and they’ve evolved with their various host trees over millennia. Many bark beetles infest already dead or dying trees, but some, like the mountain pine beetle, attack living ones. The mountain pine beetle alone has killed roughly 100,000 square miles of trees across western North America over the past 20 years, from New Mexico all the way up to northern British Columbia. Climate change has instigated this dramatic spread, by eliminating the cold spells that kill off the beetles and by leaving the trees stressed by drought, unable to defend themselves.

Sorry the beetles didn't set the trees on fire otherwise you wouldn't call them bark beetles, you'd call them pyro beetles or Antifa.
If the beetles are a problem in Cali then why didn't they take their multi million dollar home property taxes and spray the base of the trees where their eggs sit and hatch? Oh that's right, they can't even spray the sidewalk poo, what makes us think infestation of beetles is more important then hairdresser appointments.

You ever try to spray 100,000 acres of trees?? For my ASH beetle problem, I've got to do injections or insecticide every 2 years for maybe the next decade.. That's a lot of work for 16 trees.

Bark beetles DONT set trees on fire.. MAN, Lightning, and PGE lines coming down do...

BUT bark beetles help create the conditions that turn a manageable fire into an out of control inferno.

My best bud in Cali inherited a cabin inside Yosemite park that we used to visit a couple times a year. Ranger Station was down the road. Inside NATIONAL parks they practice forest mgt. Not COMPLETELY clearing dead/down wood, but having the access to fight fires and being proactive with controlled burns. It's FAIRLY well managed around the valley -- not so much in the High Country..

So -- one year -- a controlled burn escapes containment. Took out COMPLETELY 2 ridges and a valley near Wawona road.. Also spread OUT the park into one of the gateway communities.
So in terrain and dense woods like that -- EVEN WITHOUT beetle damage -- there's no guarantee of a "manageable" wildfires if the wind/humidity/moisture is against you..

True, there are a lot of factors that play into this.

 

[flacaltenn]

How Misguided Environmentalism Is To Blame For California's Wildfires

The saddest part about these fires in California is that they are self inflicted. Californians should not allow such mismanagement to continue.

thefederalist.com

According to a Reason Foundation study, another flaw in forest management is a systematic reduction in timber removal. This began in 1990 when the spotted owl was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In response, the Forest Service placed restrictions on timber harvests. Additionally, President Bill Clinton introduced a rule that restricted the construction of new roads on 49 million acres of national forest. This limited the ability of the Forest Service from thinning trees. In 1993, 1,797,574 acres of wildlands burned, but in 2017 this number jumped to 10,026,086 acres.

From 1960 to 1990, 10.3 billion board feet of timber were removed from federal forest land each year. From 1991 to 2000 that numbered dropped to 2.1 billion board feet of timber per year.

“There’s an old adage that excess timber comes out of the forest one way or the other. It’s either carried out, or it burns out,” McClintock said in a speech supporting The Resilient Federal Forest Act, a bill that stops the practice of taking fire prevention funds to pay for fire suppression. It also streamlines environmental reviews so that forest managers don’t have to fill out hundreds of pages of documents just to cut down rotting and diseased trees. As of November 2017, this bill was still under consideration in the Senate.


When trees are too close together, they fight for resources. Many of the trees are weakened and become more susceptible to disease and insect infestation. These conditions turn entire forests into tinder boxes. A 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that 129 million trees have died in California’s forests since 2010. The USDA report agrees with Trump — California’s forests suffer from neglect and mismanagement.

In order to cut down trees on private land, property owners must fill out a Timber Harvest Plan and get permission from CAL FIRE, said Schori. As of 1995, the private sector owned 8 million acres of undeveloped fire prone land, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Yet Timber Harvest Plans were only granted for 3,282,950 acres of privately owned land in 2017.

Air quality control laws also make it difficult for factories and private landowners to dispose of deadwood. The difficulty these regulations impose may prohibit private owners from effectively managing their land.

To prevent fires, both the California’s state government and the federal government need to deregulate logging and encourage the Forest Service to make a profit by selling timber. Until the environmental protests of the 1970s, the Forest Service was one of the only departments in the federal government making a profit. It is a myth that environmental concerns and business interests are always at odds. In the case of California’s forests, thinning the trees is in the interests of both parties. Trump understands this, and his administration is expanding timber sales on federal land.



Leftist policies caused this............this article shows it...................shows how timber companies are only 20% of what they used to be.............Same thing is happening in Oregon.........where leftist fled to avoid the high costs of California ONLY TO REPEAT again what happened in California.

You CAN'T BURN DOWN BRUSH..............LOGGERS GET OUT.........then your forest becomes dense......Trees become UNHEALTHY.........then they rot..............and get BUG INFESTED.............

Then THE WHOLE STATE BURNS DOWN...........and they wonder why..........LOL

LEARN OR BURN CALI

Tree huggers.. Not necessarily your average leftist. Policies created in CAPITOL cities by a lot of folks who dont get into the woods much.. Supported by largely URBAN contributions to orgs like Sierra Club. From folks who can walk 10 blocks and only see 5 or 10 trees..

The FCT principle applies here. Most things wrought by bad govt that APPEAR evil -- is the just expected level of stupidity, ineptness, and arrogance of govt.. Appealing to a vision, or "re-imagining" realities.. Like in "re-imagining" policing or look up the sad history of the hippie dippy "Precautionary Principle" that substitutes ZERO RISK mgt for science..

 

[HaShev]

Because the poster asked about what the parents were doing. But frankly, I would take evidence showing 4 out of of those fires were arson.

But if it's only three, you'll reject it.

{

Four have been arrested on suspicion of arson in West Coast areas already under seige from major destructive and deadly blazes, according to reports.

As wildfires continue to rage across three states, police investigated separate incidents near existing wildfires. Two men in Washington state, one man in Oregon and one woman in California are facing charges, according to the Daily Wire.

The latest reports suggest that at least 20 people have died in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state as firefighters struggle to contain already deadly fires.

WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON: AT LEAST 15 DEAD, 16 MISSING AS BLAZES CONTINUE IN WEST

Ashland, Ore., Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday that a criminal investigation was opened into the cause of the Almeda fire calling the circumstances around the fire 'suspicious'.

The fire sparked in Ashland Tuesday and although it mostly spared the Oregon Shakespeare Festival town, the blaze has killed two people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

}

Authorities arrest 4 in connection to possible arson, fires along West Coast

Authorities began criminal investigations on Thursday, making arrests the following day.

www.foxnews.com

California burns every fall. I've lived here my whole life - every single fall. Firebugs are as often as not the root cause of fires. Would you agree that arsonists should face the death penalty?

Ok...so you are posting on four arrestees...but none are as of yet associated with the ongoing fires (and none are Antifa)...even if they are guilty of starting one of them, there are dozens of fires. 4 out of dozens is not 4 out of 5 fires being arson. You have not supported your claim.

You keep forgeting your news sources are not gonna out Antifa because they utilize antifa in activist sister networks.
Here's a sample proof they are ordering their minions to set these fires:

My news sources will provide whatever information is known about the fires. They dont tend to peddle conspiracy theories.

So...your "proof"..what is it exactly? Apparently, it is fake.

Suspended Twitter account inspires false antifa fire claims

Social media users are citing a Twitter account since suspended from the platform to falsely claim that anti-fascist act

www.politifact.com

I did not assume it fact or fiction just as you should not trust any fact check site either, as I already busted a few of them as having ties to Liberal activism and even politicians like Clinton.
The ones I didn't research ownership are because they exhibit bias or poor rational skills, making it a waste of time. Now regarding Antifa, I remember a MSM source stating 1 arsonist had been a member, don't know which arsonist nor station host and don't care, cause you just seek top posting for your OP which still hasn't proved your premise about weather nor have you provided video of the beetles striking matches to light the fire nor provided pics of beetles keeping forests from deforestation.
Another source for arsonist linked to Antifa:

ANTIFA members implicated in Oregon wildfires

ANTIFA members implicated in Oregon wildfires

247sports.com

 

[flacaltenn]

...sometimes it is easy to overlook the not so obvious...

How much are beetles to blame for 2020 fires?

It’s not just hot, dry conditions and fire suppression that has exacerbated 2020's western fires. There’s also the attack of the beetles to consider.

www.nationalgeographic.com

The photos and news from the past month’s devastating fires across parts of the West—charred towns, dramatic helicopter rescues, apocalyptic skies—have provoked fear, anger, and an understandable search for blame. It’s clear that fires are getting worse. But why? Scientists point to a number of reasons. Hotter and drier conditions brought on by climate change can prime vegetation to burn, and decades of fire suppression have allowed fuel to accumulate in forests. Millions of people now live closer to those dry forests than ever. And then there is the matter of the beetles.
There are 600 species of bark beetles in the United States, and they’ve evolved with their various host trees over millennia. Many bark beetles infest already dead or dying trees, but some, like the mountain pine beetle, attack living ones. The mountain pine beetle alone has killed roughly 100,000 square miles of trees across western North America over the past 20 years, from New Mexico all the way up to northern British Columbia. Climate change has instigated this dramatic spread, by eliminating the cold spells that kill off the beetles and by leaving the trees stressed by drought, unable to defend themselves.

Most people look for the simplest of answers. Especially conspiracy orientated folks who have ONE ANSWER to every problem.. Environmental problems almost NEVER have "one cause".. It's complex.. And in this case, the article is RIGHT ON..

GW is a convenient excuse to IGNORE all the other issues of wildfires. Just like we recently found that coral reefs with a human tourist footprint were dying because of a sunblock ingredient that is deadly in even MINUTE quantities.

MANY countries have similar forest/suburban interfaces like Cali.. And similar droughts and climate and yet THEY don't have our problems.. It's because there's a whole SCIENCE of forest mgt and wilderness mgt that has been tossed out the window because the govt orgs in charge have this imagined vision of NO HUMAN FOOTPRINT in the forests and wilderness.

In addition the things cited in your article, firetrails, fire breaks, infrastructure for forest mgt is BANNED as an option...

Here in Hillbilly Hollywood we have the scourge of Emerald Ash Borers,.. Was just told that ALL my ash trees need to be protected. I've got about 16 of them on the cleared part of my lot.. One already clearly dead -- a couple probably infected. It's gonna rip thru middle tennessee like a wildfire and in the next ten years -- unprotected ash trees will be very rare..

Good lord, Ash are weed trees. You welcome to the ones that pop up all over my yard.

How about I send you bag of Emerald Ash borers to take care of them?? I'll toss in a couple Red Bud sprigs to replace them with.. Or better I'll send you a couple Osage Orange trees that produce softball size hard orange like fruit that will knock you out cold if they hit you..

 

[shimon]

Because the poster asked about what the parents were doing. But frankly, I would take evidence showing 4 out of of those fires were arson.

But if it's only three, you'll reject it.

{

Four have been arrested on suspicion of arson in West Coast areas already under seige from major destructive and deadly blazes, according to reports.

As wildfires continue to rage across three states, police investigated separate incidents near existing wildfires. Two men in Washington state, one man in Oregon and one woman in California are facing charges, according to the Daily Wire.

The latest reports suggest that at least 20 people have died in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state as firefighters struggle to contain already deadly fires.

WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON: AT LEAST 15 DEAD, 16 MISSING AS BLAZES CONTINUE IN WEST

Ashland, Ore., Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday that a criminal investigation was opened into the cause of the Almeda fire calling the circumstances around the fire 'suspicious'.

The fire sparked in Ashland Tuesday and although it mostly spared the Oregon Shakespeare Festival town, the blaze has killed two people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

}

Authorities arrest 4 in connection to possible arson, fires along West Coast

Authorities began criminal investigations on Thursday, making arrests the following day.

www.foxnews.com

California burns every fall. I've lived here my whole life - every single fall. Firebugs are as often as not the root cause of fires. Would you agree that arsonists should face the death penalty?

Ok...so you are posting on four arrestees...but none are as of yet associated with the ongoing fires (and none are Antifa)...even if they are guilty of starting one of them, there are dozens of fires. 4 out of dozens is not 4 out of 5 fires being arson. You have not supported your claim.

You keep forgeting your news sources are not gonna out Antifa because they utilize antifa in activist sister networks.
Here's a sample proof they are ordering their minions to set these fires:

Funny how people don’t want to talk about the obvious . I remember in Israel for example when the Israelis were planting new forests and disgruntled Palestinians were setting fires in them because of your famous crab bucket syndrome ..No one wanted to point the finger at them either just like this Antifa crap...It( the crab bucket syndrome) goes like this .. If one of those crabs is managing to pull itself out of the bucket another one of those crabs will reach out and pull that crab back down into that bucket because it doesn’t want to see it escape and better itself... That is a great analogy as humans do the same exact thing To each other...Now as for those other pests that the OP is blaming on helping burn the forests down there is really a simple solution but one must think outside of the box.. You see instead of using insecticide ( which by the way is a viable solution that Hashev pointed out) we could do what the native Indians did and harvest those beetles which are extremely high in nutrition ... They used to roast and eat them or grind them up into flour.. Now if you keep kosher or are squeamish about eating insects then they could be harvested and ground up and fed to fish or livestock lowering the costs of feeding them other foodstuffs that we as humans could also consume.I am sure there could be a cost effective way of harvesting these beetles if need be or we could just get the prisoner Antifa guys to do it in their prison coveralls as restitution for their burning down the forests and destroying people’s homes for no good reason at all...

 

[Coyote]

Because the poster asked about what the parents were doing. But frankly, I would take evidence showing 4 out of of those fires were arson.

But if it's only three, you'll reject it.

Four have been arrested on suspicion of arson in West Coast areas already under seige from major destructive and deadly blazes, according to reports.

As wildfires continue to rage across three states, police investigated separate incidents near existing wildfires. Two men in Washington state, one man in Oregon and one woman in California are facing charges, according to the Daily Wire.

The latest reports suggest that at least 20 people have died in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state as firefighters struggle to contain already deadly fires.

WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON: AT LEAST 15 DEAD, 16 MISSING AS BLAZES CONTINUE IN WEST

Ashland, Ore., Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday that a criminal investigation was opened into the cause of the Almeda fire calling the circumstances around the fire 'suspicious'.

The fire sparked in Ashland Tuesday and although it mostly spared the Oregon Shakespeare Festival town, the blaze has killed two people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

}

Authorities arrest 4 in connection to possible arson, fires along West Coast

Authorities began criminal investigations on Thursday, making arrests the following day.

www.foxnews.com

California burns every fall. I've lived here my whole life - every single fall. Firebugs are as often as not the root cause of fires. Would you agree that arsonists should face the death penalty?

Ok...so you are posting on four arrestees...but none are as of yet associated with the ongoing fires (and none are Antifa)...even if they are guilty of starting one of them, there are dozens of fires. 4 out of dozens is not 4 out of 5 fires being arson. You have not supported your claim.

You keep forgeting your news sources are not gonna out Antifa because they utilize antifa in activist sister networks.
Here's a sample proof they are ordering their minions to set these fires:

My news sources will provide whatever information is known about the fires. They dont tend to peddle conspiracy theories.

So...your "proof"..what is it exactly? Apparently, it is fake.

Suspended Twitter account inspires false antifa fire claims

Social media users are citing a Twitter account since suspended from the platform to falsely claim that anti-fascist act

www.politifact.com

I did not assume it fact or fiction just as you should not trust any fact check site either, as I already busted a few of them as having ties to Liberal activism and even politicians like Clinton.
The ones I didn't research ownership are because they exhibit bias or poor rational skills, making it a waste of time. Now regarding Antifa, I remember a MSM source stating 1 arsonist had been a member, don't know which arsonist nor station host and don't care, cause you just seek top posting for your OP which still hasn't proved your premise about weather nor have you provided video of the beetles striking matches to light the fire nor provided pics of beetles keeping forests from deforestation.
Another source for arsonist linked to Antifa:

ANTIFA members implicated in Oregon wildfires

ANTIFA members implicated in Oregon wildfires

247sports.com

Oh for God sakes...you sourceis just someone’s opinion and speculation...”they sure look like antifa”.

One guy was arrested that was associated with Ferguson...no association at all with Antifa and he sounds like a generic firebug or attention seeker.

News - Heavy.com

Today’s top breaking news, delivered without bias or snark.

heavy.com

I would go by what police say, their Info is more likely to be accurate.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Oh for God sakes...you sourceis just someone’s opinion and speculation...”they sure look like antifa”.

One guy was arrested that was associated with Ferguson...no association at all with Antifa and he sounds like a generic firebug or attention seeker.

News - Heavy.com

Today’s top breaking news, delivered without bias or snark.

heavy.com

I would go by what police say, their Info is more likely to be accurate.

Are you STILL lying about your Brown Shirts and and the 4 month Kristalnacht Biden (he say's "he is the democrats") has waged on America?

Oh, and clean up your frigging posts, no more than one or two backquotes - set an example

 

[mamooth]

Are you STILL lying about your Brown Shirts and and the 4 month Kristalnacht Biden (he say's "he is the democrats") has waged on America?

The Nazis faked stories of the violent Jews to justify their brownshirt violence. You fake stories of violent liberals to justify your side's ongoing orgy of of white supremacist brownshirt violence. You know, like the Proud Boys that you and Trump love. History repeats.

What, you really thought it wasn't obvious?

It's also amusing to see the "DERPDERPDERP WE HAVE TO THIN THE FORESTS!" morons babbling. Those unthinned forests got along just fine for thousands of years without the loggers. Thinning just lets the brush grow, and the brush is what burns.