Let’s talk about…California Wildfires

Editor, OffGuardian

Unprecedented wildfires have swept the Los Angeles area over the last few days, destroying neighbourhoods and threatening landmarks.

The BBC is helpfully keeping a running tally of the number of celebrities whose homes have burned down.

This is the first time in recorded history that wildfires of this scale have occurred in California in January, according to an expert quoted in the New Scientist:

“While Santa Ana fires are nothing new in southern California, this type of explosive fire event has never happened in January before, and it’s only happened once in December,” says Crystal Kolden at the University of California, Merced.

There has been no official word on what started the fires as yet, although officials from the California Fire Service claimed that 95% of wildfires in California are started by humans.

But, however they started – and as with other wildfires in recent history – we have to ask if this situation was fostered through inaction.

It’s well documented that – under the guise of “environmentalism” – authorities in California have refused to clear brush or cut fire breaks in woodland, even after four months of drought.

It’s also reported that fire hydrants were running dry, allegedly due to the aforementioned drought.

Then there’s the more-than-suspicious story that insurance companies began spontaneously cancelling home insurance policies in the affected areas of Los Angeles months ago.

All of which paints a picture of some kind of intentionality, doesn’t it?

But ignore all that, it was probably climate change causing “hydroclimate whiplash”, right?