10-29-2003, 11:31 AM
[cool]Hey JapanRon, you make a point that had occured to me too. That is that there will also be a tremendous toll in millions of small creatures and even some larger ones, like deer and coyotes. Some of the larger animals are fast, but often get trapped and/or disoriented and run back into the blazes. Small critters, like squirrels, rabbits, mice and reptiles never have a chance. By the time they notice they are in danger, it is too late and they do not have the knowledge or the speed to escape.
I lived in the Sacramento area for a long time. Back in the late 70's, I was in the real estate busines...selling land and homes in the Sierra foothills, to the east of Sacramento...around Shingle Springs and Placerville. While I was out of town on vacation one summer, a fast-moving fire moved through a large part of the area where we had most of our properties. I got back while there were still wisps of smoke lingering. I was in shock as I walked over once-beautiful rolling hills...with their old oak trees and manzanita stands reduced to ugly ash. And, plainly visible all over the whole landscape were charred remains of hapless critters that had been caught and burned.
I have always been a nature lover, and it almost broke my heart more to see the dead wildlife than to witness the human tragedy of lost homes. I am sure there will be a monstrous blow to the entire ecology in California, wherever these current fires are burning.
You ask WHY Davis did not act sooner...or more aggressively. We also have to ask WHY some people are so warped that they get their jollies by setting fires. There are a million WHY questions. My original philosophy has always been 'WHENEVER YOU ASK A QUESTION THAT BEGINS WITH THE WORD WHY...AND IT HAS TO DO WITH PEOPLE...THERE IS NOT LIKELY TO BE A GOOD ANSWER."
Good luck to you guys and let's hope the changing weather pattern provides a break in the situation and allows the fire fighters a chance to get things under control.
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I lived in the Sacramento area for a long time. Back in the late 70's, I was in the real estate busines...selling land and homes in the Sierra foothills, to the east of Sacramento...around Shingle Springs and Placerville. While I was out of town on vacation one summer, a fast-moving fire moved through a large part of the area where we had most of our properties. I got back while there were still wisps of smoke lingering. I was in shock as I walked over once-beautiful rolling hills...with their old oak trees and manzanita stands reduced to ugly ash. And, plainly visible all over the whole landscape were charred remains of hapless critters that had been caught and burned.
I have always been a nature lover, and it almost broke my heart more to see the dead wildlife than to witness the human tragedy of lost homes. I am sure there will be a monstrous blow to the entire ecology in California, wherever these current fires are burning.
You ask WHY Davis did not act sooner...or more aggressively. We also have to ask WHY some people are so warped that they get their jollies by setting fires. There are a million WHY questions. My original philosophy has always been 'WHENEVER YOU ASK A QUESTION THAT BEGINS WITH THE WORD WHY...AND IT HAS TO DO WITH PEOPLE...THERE IS NOT LIKELY TO BE A GOOD ANSWER."
Good luck to you guys and let's hope the changing weather pattern provides a break in the situation and allows the fire fighters a chance to get things under control.
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