Southern Ca Wildfires

[GO-NAD!]

To be honest, that's really not a huge amount- I would have thought they carry more. It's a lot if it can slosh, but 7000 liters isn't much more than 15K pounds.

For such a relatively compact aircraft, designed for high maneuverability in confined airspace and able to pick up it's load from small water bodies, the payload is quite good.

 

[TankTop5]

I've ready stories were people call insurer after insurer to be declined for fire coverage.

That's like a message from God.

It’s due to CA laws regulating insurance companies. It’s just math and if offering coverage looses them money then they pull out. I’m in roofing and we’ve been talking about companies pulling out of California for the last year due to regs. It’s not like nobody saw this coming, hindsight is 20/20.

 

[TankTop5]

California just filed suit against Southern Edison for not de-energizing the lines but California also has regulations stopping them from trimming trees on the power lines. You can’t fix stupid

 

[highfigh]

For such a relatively compact aircraft, designed for high maneuverability in confined airspace and able to pick up it's load from small water bodies, the payload is quite good.

Sorry, I didn't see the same plane when I checked last night. What does a B-17 have to do with this?

 

[Trell]

Sorry, I didn't see the same plane when I checked last night. What does a B-17 have to do with this?

We all know you're very pro in carrying water so your insight is very valuable.

 

[highfigh]

California just filed suit against Southern Edison for not de-energizing the lines but California also has regulations stopping them from trimming trees on the power lines. You can’t fix stupid

OTOH, the link includes this-

"The city’s water and power department said it did not use pre-emptive shut-offs during high wind because of potential impact on government agencies and other vital services. But the utility does prevent circuits from automatically powering back up after an outage or disruption during high winds. In such cases, utility crews manually restore power after conducting inspections of the area to make sure it is safe to do so."

Los Angeles Utilities’ Decisions to Keep Power On Are Scrutinized

Energy experts said the decision by utility companies serving the area not to turn off many power lines during high winds had likely increased the risk of fires.

www.nytimes.com

 

[TankTop5]

OTOH, the link includes this-

"The city’s water and power department said it did not use pre-emptive shut-offs during high wind because of potential impact on government agencies and other vital services. But the utility does prevent circuits from automatically powering back up after an outage or disruption during high winds. In such cases, utility crews manually restore power after conducting inspections of the area to make sure it is safe to do so."

Los Angeles Utilities’ Decisions to Keep Power On Are Scrutinized

Energy experts said the decision by utility companies serving the area not to turn off many power lines during high winds had likely increased the risk of fires.

www.nytimes.com

My dad designed much of those transmission lines. California has one of the best power transmission systems in the country and many power companies emulate them. The problem is not clearing branches from the power lines which is asinine.

Preventing wildfires in CA is nearly impossible but their policies have compounded the problem are there’s a lot they could do to mitigate wildfires. I’m all for saving the planet but common sense needs a seat at the table.

 

[GO-NAD!]

What does a B-17 have to do with this?

Nothing, in the literal sense. The CL-415/515 are smaller two-engine aircraft, while the B-17 is a larger four-engine heavy bomber, yet the payloads are similar. That's it, that's all.

 

[GO-NAD!]

California just filed suit against Southern Edison for not de-energizing the lines but California also has regulations stopping them from trimming trees on the power lines. You can’t fix stupid

Is this no longer in effect?

Under California Public Resources Code Section 4293, utility companies are required to maintain clearance around power lines to prevent fire hazards. This law allows utility companies to trim or remove trees without prior notice if they are within specified distances of power lines.

California Tree Removal Laws - Treeier

 

[Trell]

California just filed suit against Southern Edison for not de-energizing the lines but California also has regulations stopping them from trimming trees on the power lines. You can’t fix stupid

You got any credible link for that?

 

[j_garcia]

Is this no longer in effect?

California Tree Removal Laws - Treeier

Pretty sure that is in effect still. Also, anyone can call in trees near powerlines and the electric companies will come trim them back at no cost even if it is on your property. We had a powerline in our back yard when I was a kid and they came and trimmed the tree every few years until they finally just came and cut it down.

 

[highfigh]

My dad designed much of those transmission lines. California has one of the best power transmission systems in the country and many power companies emulate them. The problem is not clearing branches from the power lines which is asinine.

Preventing wildfires in CA is nearly impossible but their policies have compounded the problem are there’s a lot they could do to mitigate wildfires. I’m all for saving the planet but common sense needs a seat at the table.

We have the same kinds of problems with branches that should have been cleared on a regular basis and now, WE Energies has said they'll be doing it going forward, but it will cost us a lot. That's on top of the steady string of rate increases when they saved millions by not clearing the branches.

When you write 'best', are you including PG&E? They have a bad record.

Was the system designed outside of SCE, PG&E and any other utilities?

Dry vegetation and sparks/lightning plus idiots setting fires- great combinaton. Not having a supply of water is inexcusable.

 

[cpp]

From your post which I replied to, "Analysts are evaluating the financial impact of the disaster, with J.P.Morgan doubling its forecast of insured losses to over $20 billion.". I read that as them being one of the insures.

Chase Bank under JP Morgan's umbrella provides insurance. What I noted, was JP Morgans analyst describing projected losses.

 

[j_garcia]

We have the same kinds of problems with branches that should have been cleared on a regular basis and now, WE Energies has said they'll be doing it going forward, but it will cost us a lot. That's on top of the steady string of rate increases when they saved millions by not clearing the branches.

When you write 'best', are you including PG&E? They have a bad record.

Was the system designed outside of SCE, PG&E and any other utilities?

Dry vegetation and sparks/lightning plus idiots setting fires- great combinaton. Not having a supply of water is inexcusable.

So Cal is not PG&E, it is Edison in outlying areas and the greater LA area has its own utility AFAIK.

Fire season doesn't start for a few months. It is just that they had a really bad combination of exceptional rain last year and low rain for the season this year, low humidity and high winds. ONE spark and it can instantly be a disaster with those conditions.

There is an investigation into why that one reservoir that is used for fires generally, was empty.

 

[highfigh]

So Cal is not PG&E, it is Edison in outlying areas and the greater LA area has its own utility AFAIK.

Fire season doesn't start for a few months. It is just that they had a really bad combination of exceptional rain last year and low rain for the season this year, low humidity and high winds. ONE spark and it can instantly be a disaster with those conditions.

There is an investigation into why that one reservoir that is used for fires generally, was empty.

I know about SCE- my cousin's son in law works for them and her husband used to, but it does service the LA area- her husband was the liaison between SCE and large industrial users/potential users (no pun intended). I'll have to check in with her SIL and see if I can get the scoop from their perspective.

I was in AZ during the Skow Low/Chedesky fire in 2002- the smoke was visible in many places in/around PHX and I could smell it all the way back to and in MKE until it was put out. Every time fires rage in the PNW, the smoke comes here and on many days, it's hard to breathe for me and I don't have Asthma. I recently bought an RZ dust mask, which has great filtration, carbon in the filter and it's washable, fits great and it's very comfortable, unlike my rubber-gasketed thing that's just miserable. The RZ are inexpensive and they have frequent sales, too.