After burning nearly half a million acres, the devastating wildfires of this past week in Southern California have been brought under control. As the air clears, countless analysts, politicians and experts of all types have come forward with their reactions — some to lead, some to offer insight, and some to smear.
The San Francisco Chronicle had uncharacteristically kind words for Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger.
Bill Whalen pointed out that:
Throughout the week, he stayed
optimistic, talked action and results, and resisted the media’s bait to
blame someone – anyone – for California’s misfortunes. It’s exactly
what you look for in a leader.
The governor won accolades, and the firefighters, working brutally hard while in danger, day and night against sixteen fires, fueled at the start by 100 degree temperatures and gale-force winds.
The Forest Service is given credit for winning one big battle in Lake Arrowhead, by insisting for years on fuel breaks and tree-thinning, a determined action that may have saved that pricey resort town.
Near a windy pass in northern L.A. county, a development named Stevenson Ranch, attacked by huge Santa Ana-backed fires in both 2003 and 2007, survived both infernos thanks to intelligent use of the idea of"defensible space."
Few others got off unscathed. For more, please see the rest of the post in Gristmill…
For now, here’s a picture from flickr’s pics from the San Diego fires. Often these fire photos look sci-fi-y, but this is reality: October 24, 2007, Rancho San Diego.
Kit Stolz 