Business
today took me to the Red Feather Lakes region of the Northern Front Range area
of Colorado.
With
a little snow on the ground, you could see the stark contrast of last summer’s
fires and the areas that escaped.
Many
nice expensive homes in the area. People living their dreams. I saw very little
fire defense preparations around their homes. Sad.
10 comments:
Our in-laws are up in Rist Canyon, and during the fire up there (7 years now?) they lost 4 out of the 5 homes they own, the shop, all the equipment, and several vehicles they didn't have time to move.
About half the people who got burned-out in the canyon didn't come back.
And there's still blackened trees all over the place up there.
We had a large fire in AZ in my area last summer. Some homes were lost. Those who built their homes to defend against fire and who cleared brush and trimmed trees up to 6' did better. It is never a complete prescription, but it's just common sense.
drjim
Sorry about your inlaws. Sickens me to drive up Poudre canyon.
LL
Common sense seems uncommon. You would think people smart enough to gather the financial resources to live like that would be smarter about protecting their investment.
drjim
I should have added some of the fires are so hot and move so quickly there is not much you can do. Having a clear fuel free area around the structures helps. No untreated exposed wood (fire retardant) and a fire resistant rough has saved structures.
Simple logic- It's not pretty, and it'll never happen to me... sigh... Common sense, NOT happening...
They exercised what they thought were good clear cutting practices, but it wasn't enough. The main homestead got singed a bit, but they other properties went up so fast and violently that it caught everybody off guard. Our DIL sent us a picture of the Subaru she'd driven in California, and it was burnt out completely. One pic was of the little river of aluminum alloy that was running downhill from the car. It had previously been the engine and transaxle, confirming the heat of the fire.
It was my first "experience" with wild fires, and gave me much greater respect for them than I had before.
Old NFO
I hear you.
drjim
Unfortunately I've dealt with forest fires and range fires. Two years ago a range fire went through our old family homestead. The cemetary was spared but all the old buildings included the dismantled and stored were lost.
There are no easy answers. That said, the ecothugs have much to answer for.
Yes, I remember you posting about that fire. Very sorry for your loss.
It seems sad to me that people would save up for decades, buy their dream retirement home and then have it burn down. I'll resist the urge to comment on pensions and Chicago.
LSP
People make their decisions. Growing up in rural Colorado, I have vivid memories of fires. We were fortunate to only loose a detached garage. All my fathers tools were lost. Many other were no so fortunate.
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