California’s wildfires keep growing bigger, more frequent and more destructive. Of the 20 worst wildfires in state history, four were just last year, giving rise to a record $12.6 billion of insurance claims.

It hasn’t gotten any better this year. The Mendocino Complex Fire in August was the biggest in state history, and the Camp Fire that wiped out the town of Paradise is the deadliest. It had destroyed nearly 12,000 homesas of Monday morning.

This has put pressure on property insurers, some of which have been declining to renew homeowners’ policies in fire-prone areas. When the houses that burned this year are rebuilt, their owners may find that no one is writing insurance there — at least not at affordable prices.

“We’re not in a crisis yet, but all of the trends are in a bad direction,” said Dave Jones, who is completing his eighth and final year as California’s insurance commissioner. “We’re slowly marching toward a world that’s uninsurable.”

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INSIDER COMMENT:

PG&E transmission line eyed in Camp Fire had collapsed during 2012 storm

This is meant to show how the MSM put the info right out there, but calls it crazy.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/fires/article221651030.html

Illuminati, government, lasers: California fire conspiracy theories are wild — and wildly implausible

There’s little to no evidence to support most of their claims, but that doesn’t stop blogs, forums, YouTube channels and other outlets from sharing sensational conspiracy-theorist explanations in the aftermath of tragedy.

Venture down the wrong path of Google or Wikipedia searches and you may find yourself in the thick of some alternative explanations for California’s deadly wildfires. Very, very alternative explanations.

Here’s just a sampling, most of them relating to last year’s fires. For reasons relating to their credibility, we won’t link directly to stories making claims of questionable veracity, but all theories listed below have been shared online by at least two different conspiracy enthusiast outlets. (Surf the web at your own risk.)

• A number of theories emerged following last year’s fires claiming that the burn patterns seen in some photos could only be explained by targeted lasers, which must have been operated by terrorist groups, the U.S. government, aliens or some other agitated party. These lasers, supposedly, were shot at California from either planes or spaceships, perhaps unmanned drones, for reasons that were not entirely clear.
• Some have claimed that California’s recent wildfires were planned efforts by clandestine groups, such as the Illuminati or the New World Order, either as a show of force or in an effort to distract the mainstream media. A few websites claim the lasers from the above conspiracy theory are an Illuminati product.
• Extrapolating from reports that the 2017 wildfires destroyed expansive marijuana farms, some alternative news websites claimed (with little evidence) that drug cartels from Mexico or South America may have played a role in sparking some of the blazes.

Let’s quickly move on to the part where we debunk most of these claims.

Cal Fire has not yet determined the cause for the Tubbs Fire, which reportedly killed 24 people, but the state agency did determine a cause for most of them: 16 other Northern California fires last year were found to have been linked with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) equipment, including sagging power lines.

No Cal Fire investigation has shown any indication that drug cartels, Illuminati or aliens played any role in sparking or spreading last year’s deadly blazes, or any other wildfire in state history of significant size or destruction.

As for the lasers, conspiracy theorists had asked: How could it be that while some houses burned, the surrounding grass and foliage appeared perfectly fine? It must be the work of trillion-plus-watt laser beams raining down from the heavens, those theories said, linking to photos shared on the news.

But as Science Alert reported last December, there’s no evidence that this is the case, or that “direct energy” weapons have ever been used to start a wildfire. Science Alert further explained, with the help of biologists, that those strange patterns could be explained by the erratic natures of fire and wind, as well as moisture on wood preventing some spots from burning.

In other words, none of these out-there theories related to 2017 or 2018 wildfires has been proven true in any way.

Of note, though, some media outlets have described a suspect arrested this year for allegedly igniting a large wildfire as an “avid” conspiracy theorist.

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, is accused of starting a 23,000-acre wildfire, called the Holy Fire, near a cabin in Orange County.

“His Facebook page is littered with links to popular conspiracy theories,” including ones related to the 9/11 terror attacks and the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Clark is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 28.

Wildfire conspiracy theories did not begin last year, but after the October 2017 and December wildfires ravaged the state, an uptick in creative backstories for destructive and deadly wildfires could be observed. A graph via Google Trends shows search traffic for the phrase “California wildfire conspiracy” peaked in the first two weeks of January 2018.

The phrase went virtually unsearched in the four years prior. The early stages of new conspiracies, ranging from the political to the scientific to just plain weird, have already sprouted again as the Camp Fire continues to burn in Butte County.

They may be even riper for theories this time around, as some celebrities have lost their Southern California homes to the Woolsey and Hill fires that ripped Ventura County, including Malibu.

Read the internet with caution.

https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/2018/08/15/what-makes-up-red-fire-retardant-being-dropped-wildfires/987754002/

That red fire retardant being used in California wildfires, like the Holy fire, won’t hurt you. Here’s what’s in it

Firefighters gained more control of the Holy Fire now burning in the Cleveland National Forest in Riverside County.

Forest officials said the fire has held steady, burning 22,986 acres by Wednesday morning. But firefighters have 72 percent of the fire’s perimeter contained. The agency’s damage-assessment team determined 12 single-family homes in Orange County and six in Riverside County were destroyed by the fire.

On Wednesday, 1,270 firefighters remained on hand, and forest officials said warming weather coupled with possible thunderstorms through the week are a concern. Still, officials expect the fire to be fully contained by Tuesday.

One reason for the daily successes in battling back the blaze is the red fire retardant captured in photos and videos as it is dropped on the flames and surrounding areas from jumbo jets following spotter planes.

That fire retardant can significantly slow the progress of a blaze and helps firefighters contain the spread and save property.

But it does make a mess for people returning home after fires, and many in fire zones have been left wondering what to do if it gets on their home or vehicle and how it might impact wildlife.

The U.S. Forest Service uses a product known by the brand name Phos-Chek, according to San Bernardino National Forest spokesman Zach Behrens. The retardant is manufactured by Missouri-based ICL Performance Products, which has been creating fire retardants to fight wildfires since the 1960s.*

The company’s website says its mixtures are the, “safest, most effective and environmentally friendly products available for fighting, managing and controlling wildland fires.”

According to safety sheets on the company website, the sticky mixture — which is combined with water before it is dropped over fire zones — is primarily composed of fertilizer, with a thickener and red dye added in. The dye ensures it is visible from the air, the thickener helps the slurry cling to trees, brush and other objects it is dropped on.

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More: Holy Fire, now at 22,986 acres, is dropping ash. Here’s how to safely remove it from your property

More: In Idyllwild, the Fire District is the de facto local government.

Buy PhotoFire retardant drop near Lake Hemet to fight the Cranston Fire on Thursday, July 26, 2018. (Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

Cal Fire spokeswoman Heather Williams said the mixture is dropped strategically to protect homes or other structures and to help firefighters steer a fire off its current course and into an area where it can be fought more easily. As a blaze approaches an area where retardant has been dropped, a chemical reaction between the mixture and plants it has landed on occurs and makes it difficult for the fire to burn through that line.

“It basically acts as a fuel break to help slow down the fire,” she said. “It doesn’t put the fire out, but it really helps slow it down.”

Williams said pilots will survey a fire from the air and determine how best to utilize the retardant along with other natural fire breaks, including highways, mountain ridges and rivers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the forest service, conducted an environmental review into the impact of fire retardant in 2011 after a judge ruled in favor of Citizens for Better Forestry, which had sued the USDA and asked the forest service to review its method of applying fire retardant and how it affects the environment.

Buy PhotoA forest service truck is stained with fire retardant on Thursday, July 26, 2018 during the Cranston Fire.  (Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

The report indicated that in rare cases the retardant can have a negative impact on water quality and aquatic species, so it is not supposed to be dropped within 300 feet of a waterway. The substance still comes into contact with water sources accidentally, but the USDA said the impact on those animals would be “minor and short term.” The same goes for water quality.

“Generally, impacts are short-term, as dilution occurs when the affected water moves downstream,” according to the report. However, in stagnant bodies of water, the fertilizers in the retardant can cause an overgrowth of plants.

More: Fire-stricken Idyllwild community, united by Jazz in the Pines, now must tell it good-bye

More: Holy Fire suspect Forrest Clark arraignment delayed for second time following unusual court appearance

The impact of the nontoxic substance on human health is also “minimal.” Some people have reported skin irritation, according to the USDA, but generally the safety benefits of using the retardant outweighs those few incidents.

“On every fire, firefighter safety and public safety are the highest priorities. Aerially applied fire retardant reduces wildfire intensity and rate of spread, decreasing risks to firefighters and enabling them to construct fireline safely. In many situations, the use of retardant in concert with firefighters on the ground allows the Forest Service to safely meet its responsibilities to protect landscapes, resources, and people,” according to the USDA.

Buy PhotoA section of HWY 243 is stained with fire retardant on Thursday, July 26, 2018 during the Cranston Fire.  (Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

The company that manufactures the retardant recommends washing with soap and water if you come in contact with the substance and to flush your eyes with water if it gets in your eyes. And while the substance is nontoxic, it shouldn’t be ingested by people or animals.

The company said emergency measures would not be necessary, but to contact a physician or veterinarian if the retardant is ingested by a person or pet. Cal Fire’s Williams said it was important for people with livestock to wash out any food and water basins for their animals if they were in areas where retardant was used.

Williams also advised people to wash the retardant off their homes or cars, rather than waiting for rain to do that. She said the mixture is easy to wash off if it’s relatively fresh. If it has hardened, people might need to use a power washer or some elbow grease.

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