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

[ghostsofamerica]

the story right now that you are being distracted from in Washington DC is the Siegelman swiftboating, and the politicalization of the Justice Department, where only Democrats who cross Bushco. get railroaded to jail.

waynemadsenreport.com has great reporting on this subject.

[sarcasticennui]

wayne madsen is a nut job.

Keith Olberman of wayne:

"Wayne Madsen's Vote Fraud Tale Spin"

"..To turn on a dime and write that a document is real, and hard evidence of a crime, and then come back and admit that it’s fake, but still hard evidence of a crime, is an intellectual leap of faith worthy of Evel Knievel."
http://www.breakfornews.com/articles/MadsenVoteFraudTaleSpin.htm

[ghostsofamerica]

Making up people's minds for them by lying? Sounds like a bushco. cop, to me.

People in America can make up their own minds, after seeing ALL the facts, still. They don't follow along like sheep.

[fmoramar]

Every time there's a major natural disaster we look around and try to blame someone for its being as bad as it is. The Orange County fire chief says things wouldn't be as bad if we had more heliocopters. This is simple human arrogance. There are times when blame is justified, as in the appalling response to Katrina, but mostly we're impotent against the colossal power of nature to shape and uproot our lives. Mother Nature, after all, is the world's greatest terrorist--in addition to Katrina and other hurricanes, she regularly gives us floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other disasters that make Al Queda's meager body count pale by comparison. And we help her along with unnecessary wars that add to slaughterfest. We should stop blaming the people who are trying to counter her terror and instead focus on our limitations as mere human beings to do much about her whims and fancies.

[olivia]

That's funny, I tend to pay attention to what the fire chief says about what he needs - not what pundits and bloggers say.

If the fire chief says he needs helicopters, what would be his motivation for lying about that? Who would benefit?

[sandiegoconservative]

Olivia- There were a total of 9 fires at one point! And due to high winds, most aircraft could not go up on Sunday and Monday.

Of course there should be "more" provisions, but when you are dealing with 9 fronts, what do you expect? If So Cal had staffed for all of these contingencies, then about 1/2 the population would work for the fire department.

[Ping]

Hey stupid, he said he could have saved more houses. Because he could have fought the fire earlier.

[MagisterLudi]

HUFPO MODERATORS!!!!
I THOUGHT YOU BAN POSTERS BASED ON IP ADDRESSES!
Whats up with banned PissedOffVietVet constantly re-appearing under different handles: Linda50, GladysKnightsPIP etc.

Can't you ban his IP?
Hint: he's in small town in Netherlands.
Everyone else: flag the pathetic douche bag and move on.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

You can always renew an IP.

[dcotter]

National Guard Soldiers Deploy to Iraq
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – A farewell ceremony for California Army National Guard Soldiers from Los Angeles based C Company 3-160 Infantry will be held tomorrow at the San Diego Armory, 7401 Mesa College Drive, CA 92111, at noon. A family picnic will follow the brief ceremony.
Approximately170 Soldiers from throughout California are deploying to Iraq for a one-year tour. The unit will conduct intensive post-mobilization training at Ft. Dix before deploying to southern Iraq where they will provide convoy security.
More than 20 of these Soldiers have already been mobilized before and have volunteered for this second deployment to Iraq. “This is a real testament to the volunteer spirit of our citizen-soldiers.” says unit commander Maj. John Mendoza of West Covina. “These volunteers have a real commitment to duty.”
Media are invited to attend. Contact Sergeant Eric Lichtenberg at 878-573-7047 for event details. Contact Maj. Daniel Markert at 916-854-3304 for media inquiries.
- 30 -

http://www.calguard.ca.gov/oc/caag%2Dms/press_releases/2006/08/PR06_08_24_C-3-160IN.pdf

Think those few would make a difference?

[Sundialsvc4]

"Ike" Eisenhower warned us that every dollar we spent on the Military-Industrial Complex would be "a roof that didn't get built over a poor person's head," and now that hundreds of thousands of those roofs have been destroyed over the heads of people who are not ... or I should say, WERE not ... "poor," the truth of those words stands as a stark message to us all.

There are no National Guard troops ready to answer the call, just as there were not in New Orleans. They're all in Iraq, where they've been for the last six years, getting their brains turned into jell-o.

So... kindly don't tell me that what this government has done (not just "this President" but "this government") is a victimless crime. Or that it is not a "High Crime."

[lisakaz]

Good point. Why weren't more air resources available?

[Jeff1958]

If Ike was alive in 2007 he'd be a Democrat.

[Coronadoman]

With friends evacuated here in San Diego, I have one big question. Arianna, why has it taken so long to get planes, equipment and military personnel into the fires? What is it about the Governator and Shrub that has stalled the response? Oh, everyone will blather about it being SO MUCH FASTER than Katrina, but it's taken DAYS. It's unacceptable. Why did it take so long?

[cynara]

The news said it was because of the winds. The planes were here (at least in San Diego), but they couldn't fly due to high winds in the fire areas. Even if they did, the water and chemicals wouldn't drop on the fire since the winds would disperse them. When the winds died down, they flew.

[MagisterLudi]

HUFPO MODERATORS!!!!
I THOUGHT YOU BAN POSTERS BASED ON IP ADDRESSES!
Whats up with banned PissedOffVietVet constantly re-appearing under different handles: Linda50, GladysKnightsPIP etc.

Can't you ban his IP?
Hint: he's in small town in Netherlands.
Everyone else: flag the pathetic douche bag and move on.

[SeaOats]

When you build houses as far as the eye can see on land where fire is a crucial element of the ecosystem, shit happens.

[jfredmuggs]

Maybe, maybe not, but that's not the topic. What the adults in our audience today are discussing is the lack of resources in our country to fight natural disasters. Fires in California, floods in Louisiana, etc.

Understand?

[SeaOats]

muggs
There's a topic in this fire thread morass? I'm probably old enough to be your mother, an "adult" in other words, and here's my comment for you, our topic cop:

Every fire official I saw in news clips on Sunday, Monday and part of Tuesday said they could not deploy fire suppression aircraft due to the high winds and low visibility at water-drop altitudes. All the planes you could muster are useless in those conditions. All this blame stuff seems silly. We already know Bush and his FEMA are bigger disasters than nature can throw at us. And I, for one, am tickled shitless at the remarkable local response to this fire situation. Score a big one for local agencies and average Americans.

[PeteBogs]

the California National Guard is in Iraq... how is being over there making us safer here again?

[conservativeoriginalist]

According to Schwartzenegger, there are over 90 fire fighting aircraft available for service in southern California, but are unable to fly due to WEATHER conditions.

As far as the National Guard, he also stated that less than 8% of California's NG troops are deployed out of state, meaning 92% of the state's NG units are available if needed; not to mention tens of thousands of Marines are stationed at Camp Pendleton (one of the three largest Marine bases in the country), located about half way between Los Angeles and San Diego.

The "they're all in Iraq" argument is malarkey.

[kroses98]

Don't play the "RIGHT WING TROLL GAME," friends. They want you to go along with them, to "CHANGE THE SUBJECT," and to "DIVERT YOUR ATTENTION" from the "real facts" of the story. That is why they are "HIRED" in the first place! Why do you think there are so many of them here today? Do not play along. Look at the headlines of the story, and do not stray from the details and the facts regarding those headlines.

[Doug]

Yeah... Iraq!!!!

[fourex]

Scott Peters, San Diego councilman, spent 15 minutes on Monday telling everyone how prepared they were this time. Although Orange County is further north the fire chief there said more men and air resources could have stopped some fires earlier. I'm going with the fire chief and not the politician on who is closer to the truth. If this was preparedness we don't want to see the opposite.

[ftprairiedog]

The slime-bag and war time deserter george bush won't let this turn into another Katrina. This is rich white Republican territory, you know, his base.

[JaneC]

Expect the trolls to become less and less in touch with reality the closer the elections get. They don't know whether to shit or wind their watches. They've got nuthin'.

Dazed & Confused Republicans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBaods2l2HI

[adamsmith]

The Republicans have plenty. When it goes to the general election, all the top Democrats will be exposed for all the statements made in 1998 how Saddam HAD to be removed because of WMD. Along with blocking every move Bush has made to defeat Islamic Jihadism, even Democratic voters will vote Republican. The hypocrisy on the left is huge. They won't be able to dance around their own statements, or the "Dream" act of total illegal immigrant amnesty. The Republicans can run Donald Duck and win in '08. By the way, what do the Dems have if the Republicans have nothing? The Dems have no strategy to leave Iraq,NONE....With them it's all anti-Bush, all the time. They've got nuthin', except vote buying. The scandals around Hillary will be great entertainment, and I'm only wondering how the blue blogs will cover any of that up....

[BreadandRoses]

You have an amazing capacity for self-delusion.

You should really lay off the heavy drugs for a while.

[StillAmused]

Aren't we about due for some drooling reactionary to announce that the crippling of the National Guard by deployment in the Middle East, the CA Guard being short 50% of its equipment and the torrent of money pouring down the Iraq rabbit hole have no effect on our ability to deal with natural disasters here at home?

... or did I miss it?

[dcotter]

Missed it.

[GarsLuber]

Not the only thing you've missed...

... especially military recruitment.

[StillAmused]

Y'know, you're right. I missed the drooling reactionary below who cited NOT a news report but an Op-Ed column (from AUGUST, no less -- really timely) by Jeff Jacoby, the Boston Globe's token rightwingnut.

... and we all know the BEST source for unbiased information is opinion columns by ideologues who believe what YOU want to believe and predigest everything for you. Cuts out all that laborious sorting of facts and independent reasoning.

Ya' got me.

[nastywolf]

You just watch! When this is all over there'll be a bunch of new GOP multi-millionaires created overnite, through the Bush&Co largess that's about to flow through the disaster zone and into their pockets.

[NotGuilty]

Gubbner Schwarzenegger is already in contact with the Austrian skinheads. :^)

[VitriolAndAngst]

Blackwater will be contracted to patrol the streets -- at a guess.

San Diego was protesting them setting up a compound for Blackwater West -- I'm sure now in the chaos, the compound will get snuck in while people are waiting to fill out paperwork for the "emergency situation."

A good book to read; "Disaster Capitalism."

[ghostsofamerica]

Don't let the cops from CENTCOM, FT.MEADE, change the subject and distract and attack other commentors from discussing all the possiblities. We know our tax billions go for propaganda, and information management on the internet as the fascists and their trusted weasels, paid collaborators and conmen work to get off subject.

How is this fire like New Orleans, and 9-11? that is the question they don't want you to ask. Pray for the winds to stop and rain to fall, and the fires to stop, but don't stop questioning BushCo. and his crimemakers. A million people died in Iraq for Bushco. Think about it.

http://www.brasschecktv.com/

[sarcasticennui]

My email is pinchesduendes at yahoo dot com. Thanks.
By: raise on December 20, 2006 at 03:47pm

ghostsofamerica
[e-mail]
posted 12:40 am on 10/24/2007


You might as well post on another blog. You exposed yourself here.