California wild fires

[Badger_Boom]

It dies seem odd that they have forest (which in the climate can be very dry) right up close to the city.
They ought to have a buffer zone perhaps 5 miles surely??

Apparently there used to be buffer zones but they were gradually filled by people who wanted to live in what passes for the countryside.

 

[Baldy]

You're valuing those 50 houses at $200k then? (I assume sell (when intact) for rather more.)
I guess the rebuilding costs might be of that order (as opposed to the house prices).

Said on the news today, the average house price in the palisade area is around 2 million dollars, may had no insurance due to it being a fire area. I can't imagine have a mortgage that big without insurance.

 

[Beebo]

Said on the news today, the average house price in the palisade area is around 2 million dollars, may had no insurance due to it being a fire area. I can't imagine have a mortgage that big without insurance.

Insurance is for the rebuilding cost. House value doesn’t come in to it. You only insure the home not the value of the land itself.

In the uk you have the anomaly that a £3m house in London can be insured for £500k. Whilst a listed farm house in Scotland worth £500k would need to be insured for more than it is actually worth.

 

[Marchrider]

Insurance is for the rebuilding cost. House value doesn’t come in to it. You only insure the home not the value of the land itself.

In the uk you have the anomaly that a £3m house in London can be insured for £500k. Whilst a listed farm house in Scotland worth £500k would need to be insured for more than it is actually worth.

we had a listed town centre commercial property, worth about a 100k - had to be insured for 1.2m (and that was 8 years ago)

 

[Gunk]

we had a listed town centre commercial property, worth about a 100k

100k where on earth was that Jaywick?

 

[Baldy]

Insurance is for the rebuilding cost. House value doesn’t come in to it. You only insure the home not the value of the land itself.

Not if you haven't been able to get cover in the first place.

 

[PK99]

Just heard that in an interview on the Radio. Stunning!
(I'm guessing that's feedback - the heat of the fires is creating local air currents. As opposed to winds blowing across California at 50mph? )

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_winds

 

[Milzy]

Wonder who started the fire? 🧐🤔

 

[PK99]

Yes, funny that, almost like part of the lifecycle of the ecosystem is for it to burn occasionally.

The First Nations Peoples of Pacific North America knew all about ecosystems and wildfires and over millenia developed cultural practices to manage them.

European settlers decided they knew better....

https://eu.freep.com/story/news/loc...prescribed-burn-wildfires-canada/74205737007/

 

[Beebo]

This is getting serious. 😁

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg7z9zjv90jt?post=asset:5f813bc4-5a9f-42fc-bba0-5f3199231682#post

 

[Milzy]

Build back better. They’ll put a smart city there. Plus Olympics are wanted there.

 

[Psamathe]

Apparently there used to be buffer zones but they were gradually filled by people who wanted to live in what passes for the countryside.

Happens in UK as well eg (Environment Agency didn't even object)

Ian

 

[PK99]

Jasper AB, Canada Summer '24

 

[markemark]

This is getting serious. 😁

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg7z9zjv90jt?post=asset:5f813bc4-5a9f-42fc-bba0-5f3199231682#post

I got in one little fire and my aunt got scared. She said you’re moving in with your mum and dad in West Philadelphia.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Happens in UK as well eg (Environment Agency didn't even object)
View attachment 758560

Ian

Yes. A "Flood plain" does what it says...


As my geography teacher would say: "There are no natural disasters: there are natural hazards and there are man-made disasters, caused by humans ignoring natural hazards."