California Fires

There's not much to say about the situation on the West Coast but that we're watching, waiting, and worrying. I heard from a friend in a voluntary evacuation area near San Diego that the winds seemed to be shifting and that his neighborhood appeared to be on its way out of danger, but fires are unpredictable enough that it's hard to say whether or not good news for him means trouble for someone else. These fires, which are all throughout Southern California, from down near the Mexican border up north of LA, from the beaches into the mountains, have caused the largest evacuation in California history, and the implications of that don't go away quickly. It's hard not to compare this situation to Katrina a couple if years ago (especially with Michael Chertoff touring affected areas with Arnold Schwarzenegger), but there are some significant difference. First of all, California has faced massive fires before, so they've got some preparations in place. But perhaps the biggest difference is that, Glenn Beck notwithstanding, many of the areas hard hit are well off, and they house a good number of people who tend to support the Republican party. It'll be interesting to see how quickly national aid for rebuilding becomes available. For the time being, though, we've got to be concerned with the welfare of those in danger. I can't help but notice the political implications, but I'll try to hold my sniping for the time being.

By the way, a good source for up-to-date information is the LA Times index of fire stories. For the time being, the Times also has a tally of significant numbers on its main page. Right now it stands at 420,424 acres burned, 1,155 homes destroyed, and 881,500 people evacuated.