Arson in California

[Uncle Jack]

http://tinyurl.com/2enxv3

Does anyone think for at least one minute that this WAS NOT started by a frustrated home owner underwater on their equity?

(CBS/AP) CBS News has learned a task force of agencies, including the FBI, ATF, the Orange County Fire Authority and the California Department of Forestry will announce shortly that the massive Santiago Canyon Fire - which has caused an estimated $10 million in damage - is being officially declared an arson, and a $50,000 reward is being offered to find the arsonist.

Investigators have identified two separate "points of origin" where they believe the fire was set, CBS News has learned. FBI agents secured the scene to "maintain its integrity."

The Santiago Fire has burned about 19,200 acres east of Irvine, officials said, and it is around 30 percent contained. Six homes and eight outbuildings have been destroyed, with another eight homes and 12 outbuildings damaged. Four firefighters have been injured fighting the blaze and about 3,000 people evacuated.

[Tet]

Re: Arson in California

http://tinyurl.com/2enxv3

Does anyone think for at least one minute that this WAS NOT started by a frustrated home owner underwater on their equity?

I know they've already caught one guy for torching his own home.

[metalman]

Re: Arson in California

I know they've already caught one guy for torching his own home.

perusing the old itulip stories, came across this...

http://www.itulip.com/pasttopstories.htm#March_2006

Torch My Ride: Arson for Hire
Debt-weary SUV owners unload their gas-guzzlers on insurance companies
June 12, 2006 (Edmunds.com)

SUV owners who are faced with rising gas prices have found a new way to get out from under their high car payments — arson.

This trend was spotted by a Southern California arson task force in the summer of 2005 when gas prices spiked. At one point, firefighters responding to a report of a vehicle fire arrived at the Los Angeles River Bed to find two SUVs burning at the same time.

AntiSpin: Next: Houses.

[zoog]

Re: Arson in California

perusing the old itulip stories, came across this...

http://www.itulip.com/pasttopstories.htm#March_2006

Torch My Ride: Arson for Hire
Debt-weary SUV owners unload their gas-guzzlers on insurance companies
June 12, 2006 (Edmunds.com)

SUV owners who are faced with rising gas prices have found a new way to get out from under their high car payments — arson.

This trend was spotted by a Southern California arson task force in the summer of 2005 when gas prices spiked. At one point, firefighters responding to a report of a vehicle fire arrived at the Los Angeles River Bed to find two SUVs burning at the same time.

AntiSpin: Next: Houses.

Heh, wow. "You heard it here first"

[GRG55]

Re: Arson in California

http://tinyurl.com/2enxv3

Does anyone think for at least one minute that this WAS NOT started by a frustrated home owner underwater on their equity?

So why isn't it happening in Florida? Or Phoenix? Or Vegas? Or Detroit?

Is it that the only really creative thinking and ideas in this world all seem to come from coastal California?

[Uncle Jack]

Re: Arson in California

I think our peeps were waiting for an opportunity. There are wild fires in California. I'm sure many frustrated Florida homeowners were hoping that a hurricane would be their opportunity.

[rabot10]

Re: Arson in California

Where does Lukester live again?

[spiralmeasure]

Re: Arson in California

Hello, i'm among audience in this forum. I luve this place, but due to less knowledge on Economics, i tend to keep away from discussions.

anyway, Al-Qeda has been blamed by Fox news for this fire.:p

Check this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxyhdQKriTE

[Rajiv]

Re: Arson in California

San Diego I believe

[c1ue]

Re: Arson in California

I'm sure many frustrated Florida homeowners were hoping that a hurricane would be their opportunity.

Yes, and given that the State of Florida is now the largest hurricane insurer, that's makes for a nice death spiral:

Hurricane hits
Many people with negative equity open their doors and windows for maximum 'effect'
Insurance claims soar to State of Florida
State of Florida raises taxes to compensate
Repeat

http://www.economist.com/world/na/di...ory_id=9621481

The slack is being picked up by a fast-growing state-run company, Citizens Property Insurance. Citizens is acting as the insurer of last resort, underwritten by the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, a pool financed by the state.

[Rajiv]

About those burned-down houses in California

About those burned-down houses in California

Check out the page one photo on the Thursday, Oct. 25 front page of the New York Times. It shows two rows of completely destroyed homes in San Diego, and two virtually untouched homes right in the midst of them.

The caption makes no mention of it, and indeed in news story after news story, reporters talk about the seemingly whimsical way the fire destroys some houses while bypassing others, but what the two homes in that photo that are seemingly unscathed have in common is red tile roofs.

This is not fickle fate at work; it is common sense.

When I worked as a reporter in Los Angeles back in the 1970s, it was common knowledge--and was verified every time there was a wildfire--that if your house had a tile roof, and stucco walls, it pretty much was immune to fires.

Yet developers and home buyers, to keep their costs down, continue to put shake (wood) or asphalt shingles on houses in places like Southern California, where grass and forest fires are predictable annual events.

It's the western equivalent of homeowners and developers in the eastern US who persist in building homes on flood plains or along the coast at sea level.

You have to feel sorry for a family that loses their home, but really, how stupid can people be?

How stupid can insurance companies be, when it comes to that?

[zoog]

Re: About those burned-down houses in California

About those burned-down houses in California

...When I worked as a reporter in Los Angeles back in the 1970s, it was common knowledge--and was verified every time there was a wildfire--that if your house had a tile roof, and stucco walls, it pretty much was immune to fires....

I wouldn't go so far as to say "immune" to fires. An inch of stucco over plywood will slow a fire down, but when 60 mph winds are blasting hot flames onto the walls, even clay will start to crack and break apart after an hour or so. Stucco houses that have survived wildfires were probably built with concrete block walls rather than wood stud framing and plywood. In that condition, the weak points would be doors and windows, and any openings like soffit vents.

I haven't seen the photo mentioned, but what would be more important than the building materials would be keeping combustibles away from the house (say, 50+ feet all around). No trees, shrubs, firewood, tall grasses, etc. If the fire can't eat a path to your door, your house will likely survive.

[FRED]

Re: Arson in California

LA fire started by boy with matches

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - A boy playing with matches started a fire in north Los Angeles County that consumed more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes last week, authorities said Tuesday.

[Tet]

Re: Arson in California

LA fire started by boy with matches

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - A boy playing with matches started a fire in north Los Angeles County that consumed more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes last week, authorities said Tuesday.

38,000 acres and this fire destroyed over 500,000 acres and is still burning. 21 homes and the fire consumed over 1,600, looks like we can explain 1% of the fire what about the other 99%.

I'd like to know why the seasonal fire fighters were laid off Oct 12th, when both the Harmony Grove fire in '96 and the Cedar fire in '03 both started on Oct 20th. I'd like to know how the four C-130's that the Fed's promised California after the Cedar fire never were outfitted to carry water or flame retardant. I'd like to know where California's National Guard was, oh that's right they're busy keeping Iraqi oil in the ground. I'd like to know why none of the federal aerial fire fighting equipment was airborne until well after the fire was out of control on Wednesday.

More importantly I'd like to know why the good people of California don't ask to leave this Federal Debtors prison, because without the Fed's help California would have enough money, manpower and equipment to fight it's own fires. I'll bet the people in New Orleans are asking the same question. How many of these disasters need to happen, how many homes lost, people killed, how much damage needs to happen before people realize the Fed's aren't there to help, the Fed's are there to help themselves.

[Andreuccio]

Re: Arson in California

I'd like to know why the seasonal fire fighters were laid off Oct 12th, when both the Harmony Grove fire in '96 and the Cedar fire in '03 both started on Oct 20th.

I've lived in Southern California my entire life. The hot Santa Ana Winds blow in late October. Late October is fire season. Here's another example of a late October fire:

http://www.lafire.com/famous_fires/7...Mandeville.htm

Why would anybody be surprised by this?

More importantly I'd like to know why the good people of California don't ask to leave this Federal Debtors prison, because without the Fed's help California would have enough money, manpower and equipment to fight it's own fires.

I've wondered that, too. I remember reading years ago that if California were independent it would be the world's sixth largest economy.