LA Wildfires

Seems disingenuous to blame uncleared brush or ineffective government for lack of water.

This row of multi million dollar homes, on the seaside, with a road behind thus no vegetation, all burned to the ground.

imaround

Who is arguing? I am simply correcting misinformation that is spreading far and wide. Some of this misinformation is dangerous. Like spreading the lie that the Mayor turned off the water or stopped homeowners from cutting down trees and bushes.

It could very well turn out this was caused by an arsonist. But it is not fact and shouldn't be presented as such.

Today there are reports of groups of citizens to sue an electrical company for starting one of the fires!

At any rate, the current most difficult factor is the predicted very high winds today 70mph that will keep the helicopters off the ground again. Last week they were 100mph.

4 fires are ongoing. Maps and news

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cew52g8r8e7t

Less political shenanigans fortunately.

BlessedArt

The obsession with criticising Harry and Meghan on this says more about the people doing it than it says about them, and absolutely nothing good. Thousands of people, celebs or not, are getting involved in volunteering. Obsessing over cameras in Hollywood capturing it is like obsessing over swimmers getting wet at the beach. It’s weird. Funny, I was in the states last month. The only vitriol you see in US media toward comes from mostlyMurdoch-linked, almost always right wing tabloids. Hardly reputable and hardly in lock-step with general sentiment (which seems at worst indifferent). People here make me chuckle.

Your comments are in line with my feelings…Cali has always had a very media celebrity oriented culture… so photographers are very commonplace
Some of my families friends think ‘we the Brits are very quaint’ no harm in saying this
Also someone mentioned about M&Harry driving 70 miles…(do we actually know they did or fly down.) this is a short trip for Americans..they drive hundreds of miles to get to places where we ‘Brits’ wouldn’t probably consider a drive that long…am sure someone will disagree on here

Washerwoman ‘Award reporting’ comes to mind.. this disaster is absolutely devastating to so many … and ongoing..
maybe I’m being a bit too biased as he does have a good tone of voice

Washerwoman, I am thankful for the Guardian and BBC in the US right now because their news has shown to be the least biased! It does seem strange though to send out someone when people there can easily do the job.

This reminds me, Have you all heard of Jim Cantore? He works for The Weather Channel and goes out to every major storm/hurricane in the US. We have a joke in the US that if Jim Cantore shows up, you know it is going to be bad. Full communities see him coming and wish he would go away, in a good natured way because obviously they cant stop a storm or disaster from happening. But hey always send him even when others can do the same job.

Who is arguing? I am simply correcting misinformation that is spreading far and wide. Some of this misinformation is dangerous. Like spreading the lie that the Mayor turned off the water or stopped homeowners from cutting down trees and bushes.

It could very well turn out this was caused by an arsonist. But it is not fact and shouldn't be presented as such.

Slight change of discussion here -but watching the news at 6 on BBC I couldn't help wondering why on earth has Clive Myrie been flown out to report ?The BBC has some perfectly good correspondents out there already.I never understand why they go to the expense of sending the big 'names ' out to disaster or war zones.Especially ironic with all the talk of climate change and the link to these horrendous fires.Or is it me ?

Why are people arguing about truth and arson?
Cannot understand why..

They haven't even proven it was arson yet. The only thing they can show is it was not lightning because there was none in the area.

This article shows how the arsonist story get fabricated.

"The prospect of arsonists torching Los Angeles gained traction on social media Thursday when a group of people in Woodland Hills detained a man they suspected of setting a trash fire. The man was arrested, but there was not enough probable cause to charge him with arson, police officials said Friday. He was arrested on a felony probation violation instead."

www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/are-arsonists-responsible-los-angeles-wildfires-rcna186949

Also not true. I'd like to see your proof too. It is complicated, but because of a whole number of circumstances, but it's only Trump and friends posting it as a sort of evil democratic plot.

GreatGM60

Arson has nothing to do with climate change and the reason they have run out of water is because the mayor ordered it to be so. Also , all the environmentalists wanted the clearing of the trees and bushes, which is done every year to avoid fires, to be quashed as well as it wasn't 'eco friendly'. A perfect storm set up for carnage.

I would like to see your proof of the mayor ordering the shut off of the water and stopping the cut down of the trees.

That is a dangerous claim you are making.

MissAdventure

I thought he seemed to deliberately position himself with his back to the camera, so blocked out their view. in the clip I posted.

This is what I was alluding to MISS ADVENTURE.. he was trying to be discreet IMO

Some negative comments on here actually repulse me - I think if I had to leave because my house was burning or the neighbours..I’d have to act quickly with both crutches put shoes on ..get meds and a couple of family photos..if I had the time
Some people had no time ..😢

BlessedArt

The obsession with criticising Harry and Meghan on this says more about the people doing it than it says about them, and absolutely nothing good. Thousands of people, celebs or not, are getting involved in volunteering. Obsessing over cameras in Hollywood capturing it is like obsessing over swimmers getting wet at the beach. It’s weird. Funny, I was in the states last month. The only vitriol you see in US media toward comes from mostlyMurdoch-linked, almost always right wing tabloids. Hardly reputable and hardly in lock-step with general sentiment (which seems at worst indifferent). People here make me chuckle.

Not so sure about that! Maybe she will make peace with her dad & family, after seeing what others have lost!

GreatGM60

Arson has nothing to do with climate change and the reason they have run out of water is because the mayor ordered it to be so. Also , all the environmentalists wanted the clearing of the trees and bushes, which is done every year to avoid fires, to be quashed as well as it wasn't 'eco friendly'. A perfect storm set up for carnage.

They had enough water to cover what they had previously known and could reasonably have been predicted, as local fire chiefs said and I reported above

I dont believe there is one single reason, but it includes climate change, its not an either/or for all coming together in this huge combination of events.

Also, don't forget that one major reservoir in the areas had closed for repairs and remember a lot of the water supplies are privately owned/managed and are no under direct state control, just as we have problems with for example Thames water. I counted 7 different water agencies on google all who have a part in it.

GrannyGravy13

Wyllow3 it can be similar to going down the rabbit hole on X

Depending on who or what you are following there is far more good being seen in and around LA than bad.

Conspiracy theorists feed on a disaster, wherever it occurs, and there are some conspiracy theorists in the US that are really out there with their facts (or as I call them fairy tales)

I tend to stick to Following only occasionally dipping into ^For you^

I don't follow X, I get sources from else where which quote X and investigate

but I agree with more good than bad.

Arson has nothing to do with climate change and the reason they have run out of water is because the mayor ordered it to be so. Also , all the environmentalists wanted the clearing of the trees and bushes, which is done every year to avoid fires, to be quashed as well as it wasn't 'eco friendly'. A perfect storm set up for carnage.

Wyllow3 it can be similar to going down the rabbit hole on X

Depending on who or what you are following there is far more good being seen in and around LA than bad.

Conspiracy theorists feed on a disaster, wherever it occurs, and there are some conspiracy theorists in the US that are really out there with their facts (or as I call them fairy tales)

I tend to stick to Following only occasionally dipping into For you

More reports on CNN - scammers purporting to be from the government asking for bank details etc.

I just get really angry at the X claims it's "all because of diversity policy" when "Experts told CNN even fully functioning hydrants would not have been enough to battle fires of the magnitude of those that raged this week, particularly when air resources, such as helicopters and fixed-winged aircrafts were grounded due to the wind"

I'm glad Musk is helping with more cyber trucks: there are a number in operation in the area already, privately owned, also offering help. (they are like gigantic power chargers for your mobile)

Only in the US - Musk warned "Elon Musk Advises Tesla Cybertruck Owners in Los Angeles: “Cybertruck Side Panels are Bulletproof, but the Glass is Not, so Make Sure to Duck If You See Anyone Wielding a Gun"

Disgusting to see both extremes of the human spectrum taking despicable advantage of this terrible tragedy. Those who try to loot, and those who are trying to apply despicable market forces on the victims- like landlords/realtors, hotels, etc- asking for hugely inflated rates for tempory rentals, etc. Just sick.

Elon Musk has positioned his cyber trucks with star link providing feee Wi-Fi, water and food in a grid pattern in areas of LA. (I can only assume the grid pattern is for wi-if reasons 🤷‍♀️)

To say he is doing nothing is erroneous.

Lots of details available online.

This doesn’t make his posts on X acceptable.

Only time will tell if things could have been handled differently along with more homes and lives saved.

It's good to see mass involvement in help instead of carping from the sidelines by X (and sometimes some help from Fox News). Newsom has invited Trump to come and visit himself.

(People are right about this obsession with Meghan and Harry. Its on the front page of UK newspapers - quite bizarre given the scale of the damage and distress)

If you want the facts of whats actually happening CNN has a very good running commentary which doesnt over politicise

edition.cnn.com/weather/live-news/los-angeles-wildfires-palisades-eaton-california-01-12-25/index.html

The obsession with criticising Harry and Meghan on this says more about the people doing it than it says about them, and absolutely nothing good. Thousands of people, celebs or not, are getting involved in volunteering. Obsessing over cameras in Hollywood capturing it is like obsessing over swimmers getting wet at the beach. It’s weird. Funny, I was in the states last month. The only vitriol you see in US media toward comes from mostlyMurdoch-linked, almost always right wing tabloids. Hardly reputable and hardly in lock-step with general sentiment (which seems at worst indifferent). People here make me chuckle.

Charity begins at home? Musk, whose main engineering operations are based in California, and has enough money to make a real difference, has done nothing but firing falsehoods off against Newsom as has Trump. Shame on them for politicising it like this. It it were a republican state, we know it wouldn't be the same. Why can't they get on with helping?

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elon-musk-california-wildfires-conspiracy-theories-b2676105.html

www.indy100.com/politics/musk-gaving-newsom-la-wildfires

Guardian: www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/11/los-angeles-wildfires-diversity

"
On Wednesday, for example, Musk took some time out from obsessively tweeting about whether the US should “liberate” Britain to proclaim that the Los Angeles fire department (LAFD) “prioritized DEI over saving lives and homes”. He has continued to post spurious claims about diversity initiatives (for example, “DEI means people DIE”) for days now, along with posts

insinuating that if LAFD’s fire chief weren’t a woman, then things would be very different

Musk is not the only one trying to link wildfires to “wokeness”: all the usual suspects are at it. Donald Trump Jr has also been busy making uninspired jokes about DEI meaning DIE.

I thought he seemed to deliberately position himself with his back to the camera, so blocked out their view. in the clip I posted.

Allira

I really never thought I'd be defending M&H so vociferously 😯

Someone made the point (could be on the other thread) about Harry being an ex-servicemen and yes, this is what service personnel (and others) do.
They run towards a disaster to do what they can to help, not away.

Our condemnation should be reserved for those who are looting, charging extortionate rents to those made homeless by this disaster.

🙏