Question for those who live in California

[ultrarunner]

Can't sell to Big Creek?

Being in the city limits is quite limiting...

Most just wait until the trees fall over because no permit and being able to avoid the associated cost of being pro active.

 

[California]

I served over 30 years on wildfire incident management teams. ... It’s making a structure defensible that makes a difference. ... defensible situations are often protected from fires.

Thank you for your efforts!

The Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa that rained debris on me 10 miles downwind, was way beyond anyone's expectation. 22 deaths, 4,600 homes.

"In less than four nighttime hours, the fire roared from a quiet road in rural Calistoga to the Fountaingrove community in Santa Rosa [16 road miles]. It vaulted the seemingly insurmountable barrier of Highway 101 — six lanes, plus median and shoulders — before it laid waste to the city neighborhood of Coffey Park." ... "Fire scientists have estimated the Tubbs Fire ran 230 feet per minute at its peak."(Santa Rosa Press Democrat - that article is worth reading.).

 

[California]

On the bright side - this traveler says California is his favorite state.

A blogger who's been to every US state at least 3 times picked his 6 favorites— and 4 he wouldn't go out of his way to visit again

Lee Abbamonte picked his favorite and least favorite states based on the diversity of their natural landscapes and the vibrancy of their cities.

www.businessinsider.com

"It has beaches, it has mountains, it has deserts, it has islands, it has great cities, it has good cities," he said. "No matter what you like — I don't care who you are — there is something for you here."

 

[Sigarms]

On the bright side - this traveler says California is his favorite state.

A blogger who's been to every US state at least 3 times picked his 6 favorites— and 4 he wouldn't go out of his way to visit again

Lee Abbamonte picked his favorite and least favorite states based on the diversity of their natural landscapes and the vibrancy of their cities.

www.businessinsider.com

"It has beaches, it has mountains, it has deserts, it has islands, it has great cities, it has good cities," he said. "No matter what you like — I don't care who you are — there is something for you here."

Speaking as a tourist for the first time in Northern California last year, I can't help agree with the writers sentiments (spent time around San Diego about 35 years ago, but never really traveled anywhere exploring the state).

I found myself surprisingly thinking that some of the rural counties in Northern California would actually be a nice to place to live (heck, my wife even agreed).

That said, reality hits as I use to live up around Syracuse and Watertown NY as an adult, and I know there is no way in HE double toothpicks I would ever move back to NY due to my opinion of Albany, being owned by NYC, completely ruining the entire state (and that was over 20 years ago).

Quetsion becomes who owns Sacramento? LOL

Long story short, CA is a GREAT place to visit, but like NY, I wouldn't want to live there full time. Heck, the higher cost of living is pretty apparent for only the two weeks we spent there, let alone housing.

That's not a knock on anyone living in NY or CA, as in some aspects, I admire you putting up with it all. I'm just getting too old where I'd just say "F it, I'm out of here" LMAO

 

[plowhog]

Maybe part of the problem is regulations that impair fire safe practices...

Part of my forested rural property could benefit from reduction in fuels by removing some trees as well as slash and debris. A very obvious thing to do to lower risk of wildfire.

I got an offer from a contractor to do this. With no payment to me, he would do the fire reduction risk work in exchange for the value of wood he removed. Not a big job-- just a small part of my land and not at all like a formal timber harvest.

CalFire learned of this and said: Whoa! You are "deriving value" from the wood even though it is a barter situation. Therefore you need a formal Timber Harvest Plan signed by a Registered Professional Forester.

I checked into getting a formal Timber Harvest Plan. Because of the size of our property, and the existence of our pond and creek(s), the estimated cost was between $20k and $30k. Part of that was to search for possible endangered species such as the yellow legged frog. It would take upward of a year to prepare the plan and receive approval from CalFire. The Registered Professional Forester who could prepare the plan said he is backlogged for at least a year before he could start to prepare such a plan.

So my desire to do fuel reduction was blocked by bureacracy and a turf war between agencies. But if a fire starts on my property it is me who is held liable.

Sad state of affairs.

 

[DarkBlack]

Part of my forested rural property could benefit from reduction in fuels by removing some trees as well as slash and debris. A very obvious thing to do to lower risk of wildfire.

I got an offer from a contractor to do this. With no payment to me, he would do the fire reduction risk work in exchange for the value of wood he removed. Not a big job-- just a small part of my land and not at all like a formal timber harvest.

CalFire learned of this and said: Whoa! You are "deriving value" from the wood even though it is a barter situation. Therefore you need a formal Timber Harvest Plan signed by a Registered Professional Forester.

I checked into getting a formal Timber Harvest Plan. Because of the size of our property, and the existence of our pond and creek(s), the estimated cost was between $20k and $30k. Part of that was to search for possible endangered species such as the yellow legged frog. It would take upward of a year to prepare the plan and receive approval from CalFire. The Registered Professional Forester who could prepare the plan said he is backlogged for at least a year before he could start to prepare such a plan.

So my desire to do fuel reduction was blocked by bureacracy and a turf war between agencies. But if a fire starts on my property it is me who is held liable.

Sad state of affairs.

That’s a BS situation

 

[plowhog]

I think the insurance companies handled the wildfire hazard risk rating wrongly. They should have inspected individual rural properties and then gave homeowners a price (high) for insuring under current high hazard conditions

The entire problem with this is: it is using common sense.

The stupidity part is that it would be illegal in California for the insurers to do what you have written. Illegal. The insurers must ask permission from the Department of Insurance to adjust rates, and those requests are frequently denied.

The woman from the Santa Rosa news article said insurers in CA are paying out 8% more in claims than premiums they collect. Now multiply that by billions in premiums and those are some very large losses.

If your business was forced into a money-losing situation, wouldn't you also flee as the insurers are doing? I don't like the insurers fleeing, but I understand why they are doing it. I blame the State of CA government for strangling these companies over the years which led to them fleeing.

CA is the largest market in the country. Multiple insurers are fleeing. Because the government is forcing them to operate at a loss.

Had the normal market supply and demand factors be allowed to operate, as you have suggested, none of this upheaval would have occurred. Yes, premiums would have adjusted upward-- in line with risks and claims paid.

 

[DarkBlack]

California does a lot of things that are contrary to common sense

 

[jyoutz]

Thank you for your efforts!

The Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa that rained debris on me 10 miles downwind, was way beyond anyone's expectation. 22 deaths, 4,600 homes.

"In less than four nighttime hours, the fire roared from a quiet road in rural Calistoga to the Fountaingrove community in Santa Rosa [16 road miles]. It vaulted the seemingly insurmountable barrier of Highway 101 — six lanes, plus median and shoulders — before it laid waste to the city neighborhood of Coffey Park." ... "Fire scientists have estimated the Tubbs Fire ran 230 feet per minute at its peak."(Santa Rosa Press Democrat - that article is worth reading.).

I’ve spent a month on fires like that, most notably the Rodeo-Chediski fire in 2002 (Arizona) and the siege of 1987 (N. CA). But as I noted, houses that are defensible without undue hazard to crews will be defended, others will not see any defensible actions by firefighters.

 

[ultrarunner]

Part of my forested rural property could benefit from reduction in fuels by removing some trees as well as slash and debris. A very obvious thing to do to lower risk of wildfire.

I got an offer from a contractor to do this. With no payment to me, he would do the fire reduction risk work in exchange for the value of wood he removed. Not a big job-- just a small part of my land and not at all like a formal timber harvest.

CalFire learned of this and said: Whoa! You are "deriving value" from the wood even though it is a barter situation. Therefore you need a formal Timber Harvest Plan signed by a Registered Professional Forester.

I checked into getting a formal Timber Harvest Plan. Because of the size of our property, and the existence of our pond and creek(s), the estimated cost was between $20k and $30k. Part of that was to search for possible endangered species such as the yellow legged frog. It would take upward of a year to prepare the plan and receive approval from CalFire. The Registered Professional Forester who could prepare the plan said he is backlogged for at least a year before he could start to prepare such a plan.

So my desire to do fuel reduction was blocked by bureacracy and a turf war between agencies. But if a fire starts on my property it is me who is held liable.

Sad state of affairs.

Exactly... we as in the system is often our worst enemy.

The wine country fire brought many situations to light.

One of the most publicized is private citizens using bulldozers creating fire breaks as the flames approached

The dangerous work was credited with saving millions of dollars of property but it was not authorized... it impacted critical habitat, there was no plan or review, no filings nor fees paid...

At one time criminal charges were being bandied and even jail time for creating the fire breaks.