Fires in Paradise
Hawaii, that is. Not the mainland town that was destroyed by fire - one of its former residents, Gerard Vanderleun (now deceased), wrote about his childhood home on his blog. At the time, it was one of the deadliest wildfires in CA history.
Fire happens. It happens a lot more in drier climates - that’s a natural risk factor. A not-so natural risk is the dunderheaded policies of many states, and the National Forest Service, that keep the dry brush, the fuel for many of these fires, from being removed.
At the link is a long article about wildfires. If you just scan the headlines and the first few paragraphs, you might suppose that these fires are a consequence of a warming climate - cue long speech about Global Warming/Climate Change, with accompanying scolding to the proles about how THEY must lessen their demands on the planet’s resources.
But, there is a kicker further down the page:
Almost 85% of wildfires in the United States are caused by humans, according to the National Park Service. Fires that are sparked this way can result accidentally from leaving campfires unattended, burning debris, using various kinds of equipment and discarding cigarettes improperly. Intentional acts of arson are another source of human-caused wildfires, the agency says.
Whether accidental - and that generally means either ‘homeless people’ taking advantage of Hawaii’s generally mild climate - or arson - here, we’re talking mostly (almost all) about eco-activists and their brethren - that means felony time.
Ha-ha. I kid. Of course, neither the allegedly oppressed ‘homeless’ or the eco-terrorists will be held to account for the damage to the environment, property, or for the lives lost - at this report, 36 souls.
Now, that statistic doesn’t include the possibility that drug manufacturers/growers didn’t cause the problem. Manufacture of many street chemicals occurs using volatile chemicals (i.e., flammable). If pot growers use 24-hour intensive growing techniques, that would require electricity, with the resultant heat being dangerous. Stored, drying leaves would be a fire hazard.
The drug cartels/gangs operate with little fear of police action, contrary to Hawaii 5.0’s weekly exploits. Too many of them, well armed, and too few police, not paid enough to risk not only their lives, but their families.
But, mostly, wildfires are not unpredictable, or at least, easily foreseen by people with working brain cells. Which eliminates the likelihood of government employees figuring it out.