American west stuck in cycle of 'heat, drought and fire', experts warn:
Firefighters are battling blazes from Arizona to Washington state that are burning with a worrying ferocity, while officials say California is already set to outpace last year's record-breaking fire season.
Extreme heatwaves over the past few weeks – which have smashed records everywhere from southern California to Nevada and Oregon – are causing the region's water reserves to evaporate at an alarming rate, said Jose Pablo Ortiz Partida, a climate scientist for the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit advocacy group. And devoid of moisture, the landscape heats up quickly, like a hot plate, desiccating the landscape and turning vegetation into kindling.
"For our most vulnerable, disadvantaged communities, this also creates compounding health effects," Ortiz said. "First there's the heat. Then for many families their water supplies are affected. And then it's also the same heat and drought that are exacerbating wildfires and leading to smoky, unhealthy air quality."
In northern California, the largest wildfire to hit the state this year broke out over the weekend and has so far consumed more than 140 sq miles (362 sq km). The Beckwourth Complex grew so fast and with such intensity that it whipped up a rare fire tornado – a swirling vortex of smoke and fire.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @09:43PM (3 children)
Washington state's water reserves aren't bad, and the state has returned to a cooler pattern since the anomalous heat wave.
(Score: 2) by Frosty Piss on Monday July 19 2021, @01:51AM
Yes, but due to the melting of the ice caps, as predicted the coast is now under 20 feet of water.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by richtopia on Monday July 19 2021, @02:47PM (1 child)
Have you looked at the high-desert? Pretty severe drought there. Admittedly, I'm unsure of the water reserves you specifically mention.
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu [unl.edu]
It might be cooler, but even cool with no rain will lead to drought and forest fires. I migrated to Oregon five years ago, and I'm still surprised that there is a "fire season" after growing up in Michigan.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @08:56PM
The pacific northwest's high desert is bone dry. This is true. It also should not come as a surprise, because it's right in the name: desert. However, as of a month ago most rivers in the region were running at or above average levels for the time, including on the east side of the Cascades. Dam levels are strong, and the snowpack's not bad either.
As for the time of year, every summertime it dries out for two to three months, and this is nothing new. It's been doing it before palefaces even showed up in this neck of the woods. That's not drought, that's seasonal variation.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by GreatOutdoors on Sunday July 18 2021, @10:13PM (13 children)
The fires are caused more by people than by nature/drought. People don't allow the smaller fires to happen, leaving a lot more dead wood on the ground to make massive fires when they do happen.
Yes, I did make a logical argument there. You should post a logical response.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @12:02AM (9 children)
[citation needed]*
*Not Donald Trump.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by fakefuck39 on Monday July 19 2021, @12:25AM (8 children)
What he said is the opposite of ddump said, so the citation would not be from the dump, it would be from all the scientists.
https://www.nature.org/en-us/magazine/magazine-articles/indigenous-controlled-burns-california/ [nature.org]
It's amazing that you mind twists facts to literally the opposite, just so you can be sarcastic and angry. Exactly like Don' T. The real issue is not GOP vs the libs. It's not that nazi cops vs the blm guy robbing your car. You're all the same, you're just opposed on issues, for the sake of being opposed. It's stupid angry people like yourself, vs the normal people.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @01:25AM (1 child)
Dump said that CA fires were caused by mismanagement (by the libs, ha! take that).
(Score: 2) by fakefuck39 on Monday July 19 2021, @06:21AM
which is now what the op was saying. the op was saying what the linked nature article says. now sure where you're confused.
(Score: 0, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @02:29AM (2 children)
Which one are you?
(Score: 2) by fakefuck39 on Monday July 19 2021, @06:57AM (1 child)
I am the one who keeps calling you an autistic incel, because I physically enjoy putting down social rejects. You should look at usernames to figure out who is who.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @10:25PM
Heh, I did.. that's why I asked the rhetorical question
Thanks for the money shot
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @04:16PM (2 children)
Lol. Have you ever thought about being a spokesman for Epson? Your slogan could be something like: "We still project even when our bulbs are at their dimmest!"
(Score: 2) by fakefuck39 on Monday July 19 2021, @04:33PM (1 child)
Nah, but I've thought of being a spokesman for picking on autistic people. my slogan is something like "I keep shitting in this guy's open mouth, but he lacks contact with people so much, the cuck will even take being shit on as long as someone talks to him"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @09:23PM
Sweet burn, dude.
(Score: 2) by istartedi on Monday July 19 2021, @06:00AM
First, the "Indians" didn't just let stuff sit around. In California, acorns were actually ground and rinsed in to a flour that was a staple. The land was actually managed in some places to create oak savannahs. Fire was a part of that management process and it was usually controlled. Take away that management and yes, fuel built up.
Next, as you say, people are the no. 1 cause of fire. The biggest fire I've seen since I was up here was caused in part by a dude striking sparks with a hammer (Ranch Fire portion of the Mendocino Complex). Another huge one was caused by faulty hot tub wiring (Valley Fire).
Historically, fires have gotten out of control before. The infamous "dark day" that happened in New England way, way back is now thought to be due in part to an uncontrolled wild fire in Canada or someplace else west of the region, combining with clouds and other factors.
Then you've got the whole pine bark beetle thing which is a climate issue. Warmer winters, more beetles, more dead pines which are like bombs. Even before the Valley Fire I used to drive through that region and comment about all the dying pines. When it went off, I saw it from the parking lot of the former Ray's Food Place (now Tractor Supply) in Clear Lake and you could see flames from there. Knowing how big the trees were, you could guesstimate 300 foot flames. Crazy. The water tanker plane, I'll always remember it flying over and turning towards the fire and getting smaller and smaller. They might as well have spat on it.
So it's not like it's all climate; but it's part climate.
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @08:04PM (1 child)
and the Jews are likely funding antifa (neo-bolshevik useful idiots) to light the fires.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 20 2021, @03:42PM
Any truth about the Jews is always marked troll on this site by some useful idiot or Jew.
Wake up and get active, White people!
https://nationaljusticeparty.com/ [nationaljusticeparty.com]
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @10:15PM (10 children)
They live underground and travel via gateways generated by obelisks and pyramids. They utilize special crystals in time travel wands/staffs.
Their planet was being attacked so they traveled to Earth and colonized it before again being attacked and retreating to the underground, or hollow Earth.
The Lizards have managed to cloak themselves and also to obtain and retain the appearance of a human, but in order to maintain that appearance they must consume human flesh, which is found in most food, especially those with occult logos.
They are transforming Earth into a climate which best suits them. Any armchair theologian knows that 'demons' love to live in the desert.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @10:33PM (2 children)
Well then stop voting for lizards.
(Score: 3, Funny) by isostatic on Sunday July 18 2021, @11:00PM (1 child)
Don’t blame me, *I* voted for Kodos
(Score: 2) by looorg on Sunday July 18 2021, @11:36PM
That explains everything, he is the cause for all things wrong with the world. *I* voted for Kang.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Opportunist on Sunday July 18 2021, @10:57PM (3 children)
Hmm... last I checked the currently mostly worshiped gods (outside of money and other more contemporary deities) hail from deserts. And reading their holy books and how the protagonists are characterized there... could it be that we somehow got them backwards and we're worshipping the wrong guys?
(Score: 2) by looorg on Sunday July 18 2021, @11:41PM (2 children)
It's the same God. They, the worshipers, just can't agree on the specifics or whom is more correct, or less wrong, on said specifics.
So which would the right guy(s) be?
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Monday July 19 2021, @02:31AM (1 child)
Many gods, both un-named [blogspot.com] and named [thenotsoinnocentsabroad.com]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by looorg on Monday July 19 2021, @11:36AM
When mentioned I took the reference as one to the big three. From their perspective all these other minor deities mentioned are at best side characters or sources/targets for ridicule and scorn (plenty of them appear to become or get portrayed as demonic figures). They might not have been minor at the time or in the greater perspective but it's not like you are going to glorify the competition. Most of them would also appear to be the same deity but with different spellings or just versions of each other to different groups. Not to mention that they clearly didn't have the longevity to still be around but was out-deified by Yahwe (or God if you will). Cause we don't find them around anymore, Baal just doesn't attract followers like before etc.
That said perhaps it would be somewhat amusing if it turned out that we, in a general sense, are the once worshiping one of the minors and that we somehow turned a minor deity into the big cheese and just got rid of the others.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @12:18AM (2 children)
They mark it "funny" in order to take any seriousness away from it.
In the right state of mind, ALL OF THE LIZARDS SMELL THE SAME. Walk around sniffing and looking at random people and you might have someone "interesting" confront you.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @04:49AM (1 child)
...you might become president.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @07:09AM
The chances of becoming president are slim unless the "random people" all happen to be young girls. In that case it is a coincidence, much like the people "randomly selected" for additional TSA security screening.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @10:30PM (14 children)
Genesis 18:16 - 19:29 KJV
(Score: 3, Touché) by Opportunist on Sunday July 18 2021, @10:55PM (10 children)
And what's the excuse for the annual natural disasters hitting the Bible Belt?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @11:07PM (5 children)
Chill dude. We like our Bible Belt disasters!
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Monday July 19 2021, @07:36AM (4 children)
Hey, I didn't say I don't. But every time I wonder whether their god is trying to tell them something.
I mean, be honest, a god that has that kind of fashion sense that he knows 50% polyester shirts are an abomination and a crime worth capital punishment can't be straight. So maybe stop gay bashing and instead start wearing decent clothing!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @10:40AM (3 children)
Do you feel that way about the George Floyd mural that was struck by lightning?
https://apple.news/AMaOK8NprRyyrqvZBPcM4Pw [apple.news]
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Monday July 19 2021, @05:15PM (2 children)
Until about 5 minutes ago I didn't even know who this guy was, so ... I'd guess yes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @08:21PM (1 child)
He was a useless camel-faced, career criminal and loser, who the Jews have turned into a Cultural Marxist martyr. I think they are trying to make blacks act up enough to make whites put them in their place. Then, the Jews can try to use the federal gov to persecute whites for being so raciss n sheet. They will probably sic China and/or Russia on us like they did to Germany in ww2, but we must make it untenable for Jews to occupy White nations. Then, we can deal with the decades of non-white immigration. It would be cheaper and more humane, when compared to the future expense and hard times coming, to ship blacks to Africa. Give them a little money to get started in Africa in exchange for renouncing their US citizenship. It's not their fault the Jews brought them to the US as slaves.
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Tuesday July 20 2021, @06:32AM
Yeah, you see, I still don't care.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @12:04AM
Easy - mismanagement by liberal whackos in the federal govt. So powerful (and so incompetent).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @12:54AM
Easy - transvestites.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @10:36AM (1 child)
Since when are the west coast states “Bible belt”?
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Monday July 19 2021, @05:18PM
There's hurricanes and floodings on the West coast now, too?
That global warming thing really starts to get out of hand.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday July 19 2021, @12:53AM (1 child)
Which part of the Jewish world of the antiquity was in America?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Interesting) by TheMightyChickadee on Monday July 19 2021, @02:02AM
The Mormon part? Says so right there in the Book. And makes at least as much sense as the Lizards.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @01:27AM
So apparently all we need is ten righteous men in every city.
Oh, and let us know the top ten qualifications for righteous men.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @10:54PM (2 children)
They couldn't specifically tie this to "Won't SOMEBODY PLEASE think of the CHILDREN?!?!?!?" so now they're appealing to the newest generation's hatred for themselves,
and where is this? In the middle of a desert? Those poor, displaced Native Americans that sold their land for a profit..
Or are you saying that, in fact, these are communities of former slaves? Slaves who got nothing for their forced work, and went to live in the burning mountains, unable even to pay to rent in town for lack of savings.
Wtf is "our most vulnerable, disadvantaged communities" with respect to wild fires? omfg. Is
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @01:44AM (1 child)
Poor people live in the sticks since they can't afford to live any place else.
Paradise CA that famously burned to the ground was full of poor folks.
It is simple. Those who have the money to avoid a multi-hour commute to/from work every day, do.
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Monday July 19 2021, @08:48AM
Also retirees who don't have big income and don't need to commute.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @11:11PM (5 children)
Hey, here's an idea -- let's bring in more Mexicans! Hundreds! Thousands! Millions!
That'll solve our water and housing problems that the Democrats those Mexicans vote for are always bitching about!
(Score: 2) by looorg on Sunday July 18 2021, @11:46PM
If you just let in about 120M of them there will be a lot of free real-estate south of the border for you to claim. They have oil, nudge nudge, and need freedom.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @12:07AM (2 children)
First it was the Irish, then the Italians. Then the Chinese and Muslims. Now it's the Mexicans. Where will the lottery of arbitrary lines be drawn next???
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @12:54AM (1 child)
Anglos.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @09:27PM
But they love our accents(tm).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @12:35PM
Mexicans only vote for Dems in California, and most of those are "home-grown" rather than imported.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @01:05AM (4 children)
Nothing like first hand experience To make people believers in global warming
Now if we could just target it over the unbelievers
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @02:26AM
That's exactly what the Jews said about terrorism right before 9/11 happened.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @02:59AM (2 children)
Except that the famous heat wave wasn't really a global warming thing. It was normal variation, leading to a perfect storm kind of situation. And drying out of vegetation is annual too; the July-August timeframe is always when things turn to tinder there. And fires starting happens because of natural causes all the time; no human agency required.
The main damage done by humans is the reduction in grazers and browsers meaning more fuel for the fires. So that sucks. But it's not about global warming either.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @09:30PM (1 child)
> drying out of vegetation is annual too
Not just annual but increasing year on year. Quick, don't look!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 20 2021, @07:52PM
Hmmm .... what does an actual atmospheric scientist with regional expertise and model experience have to say?
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/07/flawed-heatwave-report-leads-to-false.html [blogspot.com]
"But they admit that soil moisture conditions and precipitation were not below normal in British Columbia, where many of the warm records occurred."
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-cool-drought-buster-weekend.html [blogspot.com]
"There may be certain media outlets that are talking about drought and gloom/doom, but we are really in quite decent shape regarding water resources for this summer. The only exception is the situation in southeast Washington where dry spring conditions are a problem for dryland farmers."
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/06/wildfire-outlook-for-pacific-northwest.html [blogspot.com]
"By this time each year, the grass/rangeland of eastern Washington is dry enough to burn."
Oh, snap! I looked, and found out that you're full of shit!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @02:49AM (1 child)
The west is always in this cycle. The humidity is lower than the coasts, Midwest, or south, so in the summer forest fires occur. It's normal. Dead normal.
Newspapers want to sell, and tv people do too so they push fear. Ignore them all. If they report blizzards in the Sahara, then maybe something different is happening.
(Score: 2) by Taxi Dudinous on Tuesday July 20 2021, @02:36PM
Yeah, Fire Season is a normal thing in the West. But MAN! Last year was pretty crazy in Colorado. There were days when the sun was Blood Red at midday due to high levels of smoke in the air. This year it has been smoky for a while, and it is very early for such a thing.
https://www.fireweatheravalanche.org/fire/ [fireweatheravalanche.org]
We also have some mud slide dangers in the mountains, since last years fires cleared so much vegetation in critical areas.
https://i70things.com/blogs/news/want-to-learn-about-glenwood-canyons-mudslide-mania [i70things.com]
Been pretty dry, and yet the area population has been exploding. There were water restrictions in this area long before people started coming in, in droves. Not sure where all these developers think the extra water is going to come from. Oh, right! They don't care about that! :-P