Forest Fires: Personal responsibility
 

We have had fires threaten us in 3 houses in 3 counties. Yes, we have global warming and dry forests and grassland. All but one of these fires were certainly caused by people. The first was caused (we were told) when the sherrif's son and his friends went only a grassy hillside to shoot off fireworks. 69 homes lost. The second could have been caused by almost anything in extremely dry condidtions with a hot high wind, 1262 homes lost in Berkeley and Oakland, CA. Another 2 were caused by arsonists. A great many people lost their homes. Then one was caused by a drunk driver plowing into dry grass (then down the hillside into the river). Yesterday, we are told, a couple fought, he went out with his chain saw to cut down trees, put the hot saw down in high dry grass. Many of my friends are evacuated from their homes.

People do need to take responsibility for their actions.

Last weekend my family, along with some friends, went for a hike on Mt. Hood (Oregon) and came across and unattended campfire. We sent someone back to the house to call and report it while the men in our group monitored it. No rain here since early July and while we're not having nearly the drought as other places in the country, the fire hazard is still high. Several fires currently burning in the Cascades. We were quite surprised at the lack of concern by the fire dept. It was as if we were putting them out . . . they didn't have much to say to us but treated it as an annoyance that we called. Fire was put out and all was fine. Certainly gave us a prime opportunity to teach our young children about responsibility, even when you didn't create the problem to begin with.

A short time ago, not too far from our place and the same area my sister's home is, some idiot used a grinder in the open on an extreme fire day. Sparks from the grinder lit grass....and the fire soon spread. Many homes were lost and people were lucky to get out alive....fortunately no fatalities but the financial/emotional toll was huge. Yes people do need to take responsibility and start using their common sense.

Sew Cornie, this was certainly a teaching moment for your children. You were certainly right to do as you did and may have saved lives.

All the fires in AZ have been man made.
Two guys tied their dog up then took a hike. The rope brushed thru the fire pit and caused a massive fire.
A lost women lite a fire when she got lost and another massive fire.
People are so careless.

We have an idiot here who finally learned their lesson. This family was notorious for ignoring burn bans and high winds. They would burn their trash on the worst days. Rural fire dept. was called out repeatedly to save their property/house (they were called out 5 times in just one month for this same family), that gets old quick with a volunteer fire department. Long story short about 18 months ago, once again they ignored the burn ban and high winds that day. Started burning their trash, the fire got away from them. It missed their house, burned the vehicles, jumped the road burned a hay field and the barn where they had all of their hay for winter feeding stored. The fire was started on Thursday and Sunday afternoon the barn was still smoldering. The good news was that no one was hurt and all of the property damage was theirs. Fire dept. hasn't been called out to their place since.

I agree about peoples actions but usually these people could care less if yours or anyone elses house burns down. We get a fire from carelessness once in a while usually along interstates or roads, but most of our fires here in Idaho are caused from lightning. Since I have allergies my eyes have suffered all summer. Hope we get a lot of rain soon to help put them out. Fires still burning around where I live.

We lived through many fires out west so I know the problems caused by careless people. Just after a horrible fire that burned several thousand acres I stopped at a gas station. Three rowdy teens were lighting matches, laughing, and then throwing them into some weeds. The manager told them to stop and asked if they didn't realized the horror of the past fire. They told him several unrepeatable words and phrases so he called the police. I stayed around and the police came and recognized the boys and took them away. I prayed they would mature.

Personal responsibility seems to be missing in many. Fires cause so much loss of life and property. I think the 'good sense gene' is defective in some.

I think many kids are "protected" from learning the consequences of actions. Come to think of it, many polititians lack that understanding. I worked as a teacher in a school for disturbed kids based on Kohlberg's "Moral development education" concept. Even very disturbed, very abused and neglected kids are able to learn about consequesces and that other people have feelings and needs too.