I’d be interested in the CalFire site, and in helping others who want to take on the challenge of doing what none of the media or agencies seem capable of doing, which is providing full-service fire coverage 24/7, complete with links and credits running to all the right places.

I don’t want to do it myself. One problem is that I have too much else to do. Another is that I am currently living here only for short stretches. While our official residence is here in Santa Barbara, we reside in the Boston area while I pursue work related to a fellowship there. It’s hard to cover California fires when you’re living 3,000 miles away. It can be done, but I’d rather provide a helping role rather than a central one.

That said, I’m flattered by the suggestion and appreciate everythig everybody is doing to make this work out.

Doc

I suggest you start a daily column about fire in CA. I live in Malibu and am a wildland fire expert. We have had some ferocious fires here every year. Each year the fires are coming earlier, getting worse, and lasting longer. Soon CA will have a full 12 month fire season. Each year we hear, “unusually dry season, low rainfall, etc.” That’s the norm! The fire services are doing all they can, but there is still a terrible loss of property. There are several basic issues-
>Accumulated brush which hasn’t burned in 20 years
> Increased development on the urban-wildland interface
> Power poles over weighted with fiber-optic cable
>Everyone everywhere expects full (free) fire protection at no cost
>Climate changes
>Lunatics who think it would be fun to set something on fire.

It aint gonna be pretty
Kurt Kamm
http://www.kurtkamm.com
kurt@OneFootInTheBlack.com

(PS. I’m a Columbia Law grad from long ago)