Orange County Fire Chief: "Had We Had More Air Resources, We Would Have Been Able To Control This Fire,"

"If the weather cooperates, maybe we can turn the tide," he said.

Crews were anticipating an injection of additional firefighters and equipment from other states, mostly throughout the West. Frustration over the firefighting effort began to emerge Tuesday when a fire official said not enough had been done to protect homes.

Orange County Fire Chief Chip Prather told reporters that firefighters' lives were threatened because too few crews were on the ground. He said a quick deployment of aircraft could have corralled a massive blaze near Irvine.

"It is an absolute fact: Had we had more air resources, we would have been able to control this fire," he said.

The fires have burned 410,000 acres, or about 640 square miles, causing at least $100 million in damage. Twenty-one firefighters and at least 24 others have been injured. One person was killed by the flames, and the San Diego medical examiner's officer listed four other deaths as connected to the blazes.

Read entire story here.

Comments

[girladvenger]

I'm from Calli and I can honestly say that I've never read a bunch of crap since joining this site.

All this crap about Global Warming and Al-Qaeda has nothing to do with this...but why am I surprise, time and time again the west coast issues are "invisible" to the rest of the country. You guys don't have a clue about what's is going on in California.

The winds are called "Santa Ana" named after the Mexican general of the 19th century...­so these winds have been a natural phenomenon since the Spaniards founded Pueblo de Los Angeles...­geesh.

The fire happened because of the downed power lines, stupid people working outside using propane, welding, running a manure plant near a dairy that caused sparks and other highly flame-able activities during the "Santa Anas" and one arsonist during fire season, because copy cats come out.

Every SoCal knows what happens during fire season and every time we have fires but this time unfortunately, the fires happened in populated areas. Except for San Diego, this is like 2003 again but this time the plan was in place that minimized loss of life.

[fourex]

It was actually the OC Fire Chief who said they needed more men and air resources. Are you talking to him?

[kingofscotts]

Any idea why his boss (not a politician) said that he was wrong. There are an abundance of planes, more than can be used at this time.

That's just a fact not partisan. Just a fact.

[lycanthrope]

Not all of us look at this for anything but what it is, a disaster that is affecting millions of people. Try not to let the inevitable bunch of crazies get to you. Not easy, but necessary. You've got more important things to think about right now, like keeping yourself and your loved ones safe. I am glad you were prepared to minimize the loss of life this time, and it really is a miracle that so few have been injured or killed. I wish you the best in all this, and my thoughts are with you for making it through. If I can do anything to help, I certainly will.

[Buckhunter]

Last time I checked the "Air Resources" we have in Iraq carry bombs not water.

[ManipulatedByMedia]

Well girl, Calif. is experiencing it's worst drought in 130 years. Regardless of the Santa Ana winds, it's worse than usual because we haven't had enough rain. Many areas are rationing water here now.

[kasa5400]

"The fire happened because of the downed power lines, stupid people working outside using propane, welding, running a manure plant near a dairy that caused sparks and other highly flame-able activities during the "Santa Anas" and one arsonist during fire season, because copy cats come out. "

According to the CA news, human activity only accounted for about 2-3 out of the 17-18 fires.

Try not building in the edge of the mountains with the brush.

[Beelzebul]

These fires have al Qaeda's fingerprints all over 'em. The castle LaFemi was talking about that burned downed is owned by an Iranian lady.

Iran is helping Iraq. Al Qaeda no like that. Al Qaeda want Iraq. Bush want Iraq. Iran want Iraq. Iraq want Iraq.

This global war on fire in San Diego is just the beginning. Look for Mr. Bush to tell all Americans to go shopping for fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and garden hoses.

[Nonamnesiac]

The MSM were quick to get on the offensive on this one. On the MSNBC "Moron Joe" show, Dixiecrat-­without-ep­ithet Joe Scarborough simply attacked those experts from California who emphacized the needed equipment to successfully fight these horrible fires were in Iraq, along with trained manpower.

Scarborough basically screamed his moronic outrage that the California officials who pointed out the missing equipment and trained manpower necessary to effectively fight the fires were in Iraq were being "political" and was so loud and strident that he cowered poor, weak, Joe-suppli­cant-sycop­hant Mika into echoing Scarbrough's phony outrage. Of course airhead Willi Geist, fresh from reporting on Britney, Lindsay and Paris joined in the attack on the experts by Moron Joe.

I remember morons like Joe who screamed and yelled their stupidity at civil rights demosntrators in the 60s, thinking they could silence truthtellers with loudly screamed lies. Moron Joe was in rare form this morning -- attacking truthtellers once again, with little Mika at his side.

They both should be sent packing.

[conservativeoriginalist]

And here we are, being deluged with a liberal predisposition, with little regard for the facts.

Fact: only 8% of California's National Guard forces are deployed out of state. Coupled with Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where tens of thousands of Marines and sailors are stationed, which is located in the middle of these fires, southern California has plenty of military resources at their disposal if needed.

Fact: there are over 90 fire fighting aircraft at the disposal of southern California for the effort, according to the Governor; they're not flying because of restrictive WEATHER conditions.

Fact: the left are collectively blaming everybody and everything for the fire, including global warming, Bush, and Iraq, yet ignore that this fire is a NATURAL event in the region during this time of year.

[JamesR.]

Wow. A forrest fire or brush fire is a NATURAL event? Oh boy, you is smart! What if the fire is set by a human. What is that called?

[fourex]

"they're not flying because of restrictive WEATHER conditions­."
False.

The OC Fire Chief said they needed more men and air resources. Sir, I apologize for conservati­veoriginal­ist calling you a lefty.

God save us from more Republican successes.

[Nonamnesiac]

I know. The Orange County Fire Commissioner is wrong about this and you're right. I know, the manpower and equipment that is in Iraq is not needed for massive fires like this, whether caused by arson, natural events or both.

You right wingers are so committed to wasting our treasure and manpower in Iraq and defending it, that you refuse to acknowledge reality.

But don't worry, it'll all be fixed soon. W and Chertoff will be there to lend their assistance.

Send a support email to Moron Joe. He might have you on.

[NewRiver]

RE: And here we are, being deluged with a liberal predisposition, with little regard for the facts...

Careful conservati­veoriginal­ist, much of this crowd only likes facts if they support their side of the debate. Besides, with the help of those on the left media, they have way too many anti-Bush, anti-GOP, anti-Global Warming, anti-California (see the "who would be stupid to build there" comment above) talking points they need to use to appear intelligent, when really all it does to those of us who live in the West and are familiar with fire season (which seems year around anymore) is expose their utter lack of so-called intelligence.

[THERIGHTWING]

The expert was the LT Gov and he just through the need for things not saying what he is missing or if any of that was in Iraq. It was simply an attack on the war and W. Get your facts right before you fire away the bombs.

[BronxBorn]

The missing equipment fact sounds familiar.


"By John Milburn, Associated Press Writer | May 8, 2007

TOPEKA, Kan. --Gov. Kathleen Sebelius says the war in Iraq has exposed holes in domestic disaster response like the one currently under way in tornado-ravaged Kansas.

The governor said about half the state's National Guard trucks are in Iraq, equipment that would be helpful in removing debris."

[ariuszme]

just so you know, Gov Sebelius who did raise hell about the missing equipment in her state of Kansas after the tornadoes, happens to be a Republican,,, but because she didn't tow the party line she was slaughtered in the tv MSM for not keeping her mouth shut.

http://politicaldiscontent.blogspot.com

[BronxBorn]

Thank you for your reply,

In re-reading my post, I see it could be inferred that I was just saying "same old, same old."

I was not. I was making a point that the 50% missing equipment is something we will be hearing again.

[NewRiver]

You are a complete and total idiot, completely void of any factual data.

http://www.governor.ks.gov/about/bio.htmo.htm

In 2006, Governor Sebelius was elected chair of the Democratic Governors Association. She also chairs the Education Commission of the States, as well as serving on the National Governors Association’s Executive Committee.

Next time try fact checking before posting.

[THERIGHTWING]

Fact, she is neither republican and she had to backtrack in a later statement because the supplies were there and the feds were there as well. Can we at least get the simple facts here right. You laid all that bs out and you could have checked if she was a dem or republican so easy but instead you had to spew made up bs to fit your post.

[dleonard123]

And just so YOU know, she is and was in fact a DEMOCRAT and she was rightfully slaughtered in the media for trying to politicize that disaster. She got awfully quiet when the facts came out about the sufficient readiness of the Kansas National Guard (see http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=33080), not to mention her slowness in returning to the state from her Florida vacation.

[mi]

more resources would have made an impact.
they are all in Iraq, accomplishing nothing.
incredibly tragic for the American citizens
in California.

[kingofscotts]

Sure if you consider 8% being "all in Iraq" then I guess your point is correct.

I would say 8% is an awfully far cry from being "ALL".

Moonbats unite against facts.

[VogonsCryptolect]

Long, long ago and far, far away man discovered fire.
He began to enslave fire and harness its power in many ways to better his life and insure his survivability.
Since that time fire has been very angry over its enslavement at the hands of man.
Fire and its surrogate forces of sparks and coals have been fighting a civil war ever since. Fire has taken every opportunity to terrorize and destroy man and his edifices in order to regain its freedom and self determination. Fire has no moral compass and is willing to kill innocent civilians including women and children at every opportunity.
Fire has infiltrated every community of the world; it lives deep in the bowels of the earth and utilizes weapons of mass destruction like volcanoes which are far superior to anything man has to fight back.
The time has come for us to stand down and admit defeat in this ill-conceived war of lies and hubris.
WE HAVE LOST THE WAR ON FIRE!!!
The time for war has ended and the time for diplomacy is at hand.
STOP THE PHONY WAR ON FIRE!!!
NO MORE WAR FOR FIRE!!!

[GrouchoMarxist]

Go to hell.

[VogonsCryptolect]

You make an excellent point Groucho. The time has come to go to hell.
Only Nixon could go to China.
Only Pelosi could go to Syria..
Who indeed shall we send to hell???

Hell is the home and birthplace of fire.
Hell is where we need to go to speak with our enemy. How can we achieve peace if we do not go to hell to speak with our enemy?
We must go to hell with our hat in hand and find common ground with fire.

[BreadandRoses]

You're still boring and you still offer nothing.

Disappear again.

[VogonsCryptolect]

As opposed to scintillating content like this eh shb?

----------­----------­----------­----

Off-topic and stupid---but that defines you perfectly, doesn't it?
posted 10/24/2007 at 13:38:41
You're still boring and you still offer nothing.

Disappear again. Does that mean you ar both of us and we are also you?

This will really make Dementia's head spin!
posted 10/24/2007 at 13:27:56
Only if it's full.
posted 10/24/2007 at 13:24:57
You have an amazing capacity for self-delusion.
posted 10/24/2007 at 13:37:52
I think I detect another scrubbing.
posted 10/24/2007 at 13:29:13
But according to Fixaflat, SE and I are one and the same person.

You should really lay off the heavy drugs for a while.
sted 10/24/2007 at 10:44:14
But you were going on about something else, which no one but you brought up:

"Oh I get it. We shouldn't have insurance at all. If your house burns down you expect everyone else to buy you new shit."

That was what you posted. It's a lie, like everything else you post.

Disaster relief is to help those who have no insurance, those who are under-insured, and those who just need some help.

Thanks for proving me right, you lying rightwing shill.
posted 10/24/2007 at 10:38:06
Hey, I was trying to be nice.
It doesn't happen often.
People with compassion are in favor of disaster relief.

Rightwing goons like you---who have no compassion---are against it.

You're unAmerican, dougie.
And I know you're proud of it.
posted 10/24/2007 at 10:41:35
More proof that you are a liar.
You make shit up so you can insult Democrats and liberals.

There is no such axiom, and no such corollarie­s.posted 10/24/2007 at 12:19:10
Neither do you, fixaflat.
posted 10/24/2007 at 12:18:04
You're covered in tin foil, aren't you?
posted 10/24/2007 at 12:10:32
No.
As usual, dougie, you are completely wrong.
posted 10/24/2007 at 10:47:43

[GarsLuber]

the chicken hawk clucks.

you'll lose that snark when your community needs the manpower and equipment that is still in Iraq.

Now you can go back to living your life in a state of perpetual fear.

Is there one chicken hawk who will stand up for themselves?

[VogonsCryptolect]

I beg your pardon? Chickenhawk? Huh?
You must have me confused with someone else Garsloogie.
My community will be just fine thanks.
One thing I have little of of is fear, with the possible exception of fear of the regressive socialist takeover of this country which appears likely.
Even that I fear only for those who do not have the where-with-all to relocate(as I do) if that sorry turn of events should occur.

[THERIGHTWING]

We need a change of course.

[SmellyOne]

It doesn't take long to skim these comments and find overwhelming evidence that HuffBots are brainwashed to only think about George Bush.

George Bush is the driving force behind everything for HuffBots.

[sarcasticennui]

Seems the most objectionable posts have been made by bushbots:

sgtjiggs:

Pelosi fired back and plans to call for a symbolic resolution condemning the Turks for their massive tree genocide in California.
posted 10/22/2007 at 20:08:03
Schwarzenegger just ordered 1500 California National Guard to the fire area.

I thought they were all in Iraq.
posted 10/22/2007 at 19:30:06
***Breaking News***

Barbara Streisand refuses to evacuate

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15764075@N03/1697367147/
posted 10/22/2007 at 18:28:38
***Breaking News***

Reports are saying a large group of right-wingers have gathered in Malibu. They are facing the flames and holding up large signs that say,

"This Way To Barbara Streisand's House --->"
posted 10/22/2007 at 17:44:12

LOL!
posted 10/22/2007 at 14:42:58
Ha, all those Hollywood leftists all aflame!
Burn baby, burn!
posted 10/22/2007 at 14:10:10
-----
Videos: Southern California Wildfires
Rich, Hollywood elitists all aflame!
Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch!
posted 10/22/2007 at 13:47:15
-----

bobobolinski
It's all Hollyweird's fault. Red White and Blue Americans were always kind and considerate until the type of hateful humor started to be spewed out by the Hollywood lib types aimed at good, decent Christian Middle America and Southern folks. Now that humor is coming back to bite the Hollywood libs on their butts.
posted 10/22/2007 at 18:01:38
Is this God's way of telling Hollyweird, forget the Prius, go Amish?
posted 10/22/2007 at 17:17:19
I blame it on Hillary. No more fundraising Hollyweird parties for Barack.
posted 10/22/2007 at 17:04:39
As they say in Hollyweird, if you build it they will come.
posted 10/22/2007 at 16:48:23
Think the Hollywood libs will now give back the land to the Chumash?
posted 10/22/2007 at 16:42:51
I hope when the media interviews the Hollywood libs on the fires that they also talk with Bo Derek and Tom Selleck to be fair and balanced.
posted 10/22/2007 at 16:33:56

[kingofscotts]

What the hell is your point?

Anyone of us could copy and paste a whole page of anti-semitic, racist, sexist etc. comments. They are called fringe outliers. If that is your proof of anything except there are morons on all sides of issues then I guess you are just one of them.

[GarsLuber]

George Bush is the driving force behind everything chicken hawk.

Now you may continue with your apologies.

[ariuszme]

you apparently haven't spent the last 7 years reading, books, googling and researching the MASSIVE amount of corruption in this administration on every level in every department fathomable. sad people like you sit in a forum and never research to find the truth about things that affect your country and your government.

[azhiker]

IDIOT, And the Republithugs blame Bill Clinton for EVERYTHING. He should have cut down more trees like the reich wing fascist bush crime family wants to do. After a fly over by Air Force One, it's time for president Bush to read "My Pet Goat" for the American public so he looks like a scholar on fires.

BTW, north San Diego county is as red as blood since they pay little or no taxes thanks to the bush crime family's tax cuts. No millionaire left behind. Bush will be in California making sure these mansions are rebuilt with no interest government loans.

[kingofscotts]

I see you are not familiar with the lawsuits against the Clinton administration for trying to do what you are claiming Bush wants to do.

It's not Clinton's fault and it's not Bush's fault.

I'm pretty damn sure neither started the fires.

[godlessclif]

We get to see George Bush read children's books to fire victims

http://www.booktopia.com.au/dolores-and-the-big-fire/prod9780689829161.html

[ariuszme]

Will he be holding it upside down like he did when our country was attacked and he sat there like the imbecile he is!

http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/u/K/bush_bookupsidedown.jpg

[donkee]

those pictures

are just incredibly

I don't know

frightening sad scary...

heh...

[lycanthrope]

Yes they are. But not half as scary as the responses to them.

[Grannysue]

Of course Bush will attempt, pathetic as he is, to make this one better then Katrina. Most of these poor victims are white!
If the Republicans don't believe in global warming, maybe they should all be required to move to the hills that are burning in California or to New Orleans. Or better yet the artic, where they can float around with the polar bears looking for a little piece of ice to sit on. Hopefully, Bush and his heck of a job crew will stay out of the way, they only seem to screw things up worse when they are "helping Americans".

[ManipulatedByMedia]

This is not an issue of race. I have many "white" friends in N.O. that lost everything. The areas burning are multiracial (California is not a segregated state). It's more likely that the administration does not want the level of criticism levied in Katrina. Bush is coming begrudgingly, make no mistake. This takes away from his focus on bombing Iran. To the religious right, "God is distracting Bush from his obsession to bomb Iran". Take heed!

[conservativeoriginalist]

"Most of these poor victims are white! "

The "poor" in San Diego are mostly Hispanic. Nice try at the race bait.

"If the Republicans don't believe in global warming, maybe they should all be required to move to the hills that are burning in California or to New Orleans."

San Diego IS Republican country; notice the difference between the post-Katrina chaos and criminal activity in New Orleans and the sane, uneventful evacuations in the San Diego area.

The infrastructure failure in New Orleans wasn't caused by the global warming phantom menace; the levee breaching was caused by poor engineering and widespread negligence via local corruption with federal funds.

"Or better yet the artic, where they can float around with the polar bears looking for a little piece of ice to sit on."

That Goracle cartoon has been debunked long ago. Try again.

"Bush and his heck of a job crew will stay out of the way, they only seem to screw things up worse when they are "helping Americans"­."

Good, I'd be glad for the local government to take responsibility for a change instead of standing in the middle of a NATURAL disaster waiting for a bail out from the federal government. Its long overdue for responsibility to be taken by those who should bear it.

[coyote4]

This is Bush's opportunity to prove that his administration and policies are not a complete screwup.

He has to make this good, or god help us, the next 14 months will be hell as Americans rise up in anger.

[Horst]

Let's face it Bush is responsible for evrything that goes wrong. Funny, Berkeley's not burning...­hmmmm.

[ManipulatedByMedia]

A better way to put it is that Bush is irresponsible for everything here in America. With a trillion dollars or so spent in Iraq, it's all to evident that his focus and preoccupation is with Iraq. He was elected to be president of the US. He wants to protect us from dangers abroad and has exhausted our resources needed to servive our on natural disasters here... Go figure.

[coyote4]

The Cheney/Bush administration really missed the ball by failing to comprehend that we need to prepare for Climate Change and Energy Scarcity WITHIN THE HOMELAND.

Instead they pursued a decade old neocon dream of adventurism in Iraq.

Adventurism:
Involvement in risky enterprises without regard to proper procedures and possible consequences, especially the reckless intervention by a nation in the affairs of another nation or region

[StillAmused]

Not very original, but it has a nice beat and you can dance to it.

Any other insights?

[JaneC]

No, not everything. He is, however, responsible for the lack of equipment which he chose to send to the wrong country for all the wrong reasons and leaving it there for way to long.

[donkee]

of course

the national guard

not being in this country

is their own fault right

heh...

[cryingeagle]

Earth vs Man

http://earthvsman.tripod.com/id11.html

[LittleGreenGreaseBalls]

It must be very hard on the Bush Crime Family to divert hard cash from their various wars to have to help Americans in trouble. Of course, Southern California is a Republican stronghold unlike New Orleans that is still waiting...­waiting...­waiting--b­ut then New Orleans is mostly black and poor. Orange County, however, will vote solidly for Rudy once the smoke has cleared. Where the money goes is a no-brainer.

[coyote4]

"We have had an unfortunate situation that we've had three things come together:
very dry areas,
very hot weather
and then a lot of wind,"
Schwarzenegger said.
"And so this makes the perfect storm for a fire."

Climate Change means more:
Dryer
Hotter
Windier
more fire storms

[dleonard123]

First of all, the previous two years have been WETTER than normal in that area. That resulted in higher than normal growth of brush, trees, etc. Then we had a dryer than normal conditions this year. Then we had higher than usual wind conditions that were coincident with the start of the fires. Yes, that's all climate change, but I suspect you're talking about CLIMATE CHANGE. How are those worse than normal hurrican predictions been working out for you over the last couple years?

[GrouchoMarxist]

I'm glad to see that the talking points have been distributed so quickly. It would be a shame to wait until the last home was destroyed before Rush started spewing.

[coyote4]

dleonard123:
Did anyone claim that Climate Change would give PREDICABLE phenomena that would be MEASURABLE per quarter? Or even yearly?

You are building a straw man and viciously swinging away at nothing.

Climate Change means that the predictability factor is being REMOVED, not sharpened. I recommend that you GO BACK TO SCHOOL.

[GarsLuber]

Are you talking about Southern California?

Or the hills where your trailer is parked?

We've been in a 2 year drought, and the words of a chicken hawk doesn't change that.

[kingofscotts]

**BREAKING NEWS** SENATOR REID IS LOSING HIS MIND.

Reid can only be one of the following.

A. A complete liar.
B. Suffering from alzheimers like symptoms.

Today he said during his press conference that "one of the reasons we have these fires burning in Southern California is global warming"

Less than 6 minutes later when asked about that comment by a reporter he said the following.

"wait I didn't um what I was saying was uh I NEVER SAID THE FIRES WERE BURNING BECAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING"

This was all at the same press conference. The reporter looked stunned. In the span of six minutes in front of the same crowd he flat out lied about what had just come out of his mouth.

This is the leader of the Senate.

God help us all.

[GarsLuber]

you can't understand between 'one' and 'all'.

But you're a chicken hawk, which leaves you in a life of fear and ignorance.

carry one with the bush apologies, and I hope you don't have to sell your house anytime soon.

[Beelzebul]

“Late one night, when we were all in bed, old Mother Leary, left a lantern in the shed, and when the cow kicked it over, she winked her eye and said, there’ll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight."

Chicago was built out of wood prior to the great fire. They rebuilt using metal and iron. When will the people of CA get a clue and build homes using something other than wood?

[Beelzebul]

Beel, go drown yourself in Lake Champlain.

[Beelzebul]

Screw you, Beel. Why aren't you in San Diego helping out with the global war on fire?

[LaFeminazi]

One of the ugliest buildings I know of burnt to the ground, Castle Kashan.

That was stone built.

http://www.theradreport.com/2007/10/21/malibu-burns-fire-takes-out-the-malibu-castle/

[JaneC]

You think that's an ugly building? Oh oh, our first fight is coming up. Grrrrr

[coyote4]

Don't tell the lumber industry that.

The issue is that baby-boomers are a rich generation and have been upgrading into monster housing.

The problem is that these fancy investments are obsolete. They fail to incorporate the changing realities of Climate Change and Energy Scarcity into the engineering and design. 20 years from now they will be worthless white elephants.

Concrete houses are only a little more costly to build, but are safe from these issues. Talk to Al Gore.

[mimsnpips]

I thought they had codes for non flammable roofs, and the 100 foot brush clearance around your house is not enough with up to 200 foot flames approaching. Non flammable siding is necessary too.

The codes must only be in specific areas.

[coyote4]

What! Are you asking for common sense to prevail?

Did you not see my post concerning slavish devotion to 'the system' and modernism?