4 copters being launched to help keep Sandy Fire under control.
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4 copters being launched to help keep Sandy Fire under control. Frequencies being used is CDF A/G and air tactics is 166.615Mhz. 5/19/26 0742 #SandyFire #VenturaCounty #LACounty #wildfires
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4 copters being launched to help keep Sandy Fire under control. Frequencies being used is CDF A/G and air tactics is 166.615Mhz. 5/19/26 0742 #SandyFire #VenturaCounty #LACounty #wildfires
Air attack also launched from Hemet. 5/19/26 0744 #SandyFire #VenturaCounty #LACounty #wildfires
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Air attack also launched from Hemet. 5/19/26 0744 #SandyFire #VenturaCounty #LACounty #wildfires
Smoke report, 2088 Casual Court. (Note: typical for when the sun comes up, smoke starts becoming apparent and homeowners who are not evacuated will call in) 5/19/26 0758 #SandyFire #VenturaCounty #LACounty #wildfires
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Smoke report, 2088 Casual Court. (Note: typical for when the sun comes up, smoke starts becoming apparent and homeowners who are not evacuated will call in) 5/19/26 0758 #SandyFire #VenturaCounty #LACounty #wildfires
Wow, these folks either have serious prior wildfire PTSD or just don't like vegetation, look at that clearance!

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Wow, these folks either have serious prior wildfire PTSD or just don't like vegetation, look at that clearance!

@ai6yr Simi really setting the bar high showing what defensible space can do.
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@ai6yr Simi really setting the bar high showing what defensible space can do.
@natesiggard I mean, if I lived there at the top of a hill, I might do that lol. (I do like a garden etc. though)
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@natesiggard I mean, if I lived there at the top of a hill, I might do that lol. (I do like a garden etc. though)
@ai6yr @natesiggard as long as the garden is lush and moist, it can serve as a fire break in many conditions.
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@ai6yr @natesiggard as long as the garden is lush and moist, it can serve as a fire break in many conditions.
@ai6yr @natesiggard * may not apply in extreme fire weather with ultra low humidity, high winds, and a fire storm heading your way.
But then again, would defensible space matter all that much of a super charged wall of flames blow torched your house?
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@ai6yr @natesiggard * may not apply in extreme fire weather with ultra low humidity, high winds, and a fire storm heading your way.
But then again, would defensible space matter all that much of a super charged wall of flames blow torched your house?
@douglasvb @natesiggard That's where the hardened attic vents etc. come into play
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@douglasvb @natesiggard That's where the hardened attic vents etc. come into play
@ai6yr @douglasvb @natesiggard
And fences that are made of something other than wood -
@ai6yr @douglasvb @natesiggard
And fences that are made of something other than wood@MsMerope @ai6yr @natesiggard I've been wondering if the same rules apply to wood fences as they do to wood decks... My parents were allowed to have wood decks because the boards were thicker than 2" (all custom milled on site from standing dead timber). Although recently they replaced the decking on the rear porch with plastic planks.
So if you had a thick wooden fence, would that be okay?
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@MsMerope @ai6yr @natesiggard I've been wondering if the same rules apply to wood fences as they do to wood decks... My parents were allowed to have wood decks because the boards were thicker than 2" (all custom milled on site from standing dead timber). Although recently they replaced the decking on the rear porch with plastic planks.
So if you had a thick wooden fence, would that be okay?
@douglasvb @MsMerope @ai6yr wood fences within 5 feet of the end of the eaves will have 5 years to be replaced once zone zero is approved. The difference between the “rules’ and best practices is mostly that the rules are a lowest common denominator, youd be better off doing more than they require in most cases. Also, the rules generally fail to address either defensible space, or home hardening as the regulatory methods for enforcement don’t allow a single authority to enforce the full spectrum of defense. This puts a lot of burden on the property owners because “official” messaging conflicts and isn’t unified, leaving insurance companies to fill the gap.
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@douglasvb @MsMerope @ai6yr wood fences within 5 feet of the end of the eaves will have 5 years to be replaced once zone zero is approved. The difference between the “rules’ and best practices is mostly that the rules are a lowest common denominator, youd be better off doing more than they require in most cases. Also, the rules generally fail to address either defensible space, or home hardening as the regulatory methods for enforcement don’t allow a single authority to enforce the full spectrum of defense. This puts a lot of burden on the property owners because “official” messaging conflicts and isn’t unified, leaving insurance companies to fill the gap.
@natesiggard @douglasvb @MsMerope @ai6yr
colorado is trying to address this in state law, encouraging roofs that are more fire resistant and hail resistant. i got a cedar shake shingle roof replaced with a top rated coated metal roof with the insurance company picking up most of it and also lowering my insurance bill noticably.
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@natesiggard @douglasvb @MsMerope @ai6yr
colorado is trying to address this in state law, encouraging roofs that are more fire resistant and hail resistant. i got a cedar shake shingle roof replaced with a top rated coated metal roof with the insurance company picking up most of it and also lowering my insurance bill noticably.
@paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope @ai6yr similar stuff is happening in California. It's very rare to see a new wood shake roof anymore. By us in Monterey it's mostly asphalt shingles with some tile roofs as well. By my parents in the mountains it's 95% metal.
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@paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope @ai6yr similar stuff is happening in California. It's very rare to see a new wood shake roof anymore. By us in Monterey it's mostly asphalt shingles with some tile roofs as well. By my parents in the mountains it's 95% metal.
@douglasvb @natesiggard @MsMerope @ai6yr
wood shingles have been illegal for a while but it's new "encouraging" insurance to pay for replacement.
but climate change has meant more drought, more fires, more/bigger hail. i was able to get the highest rating roof.
lake tahoe has been doing flammables clearance rules for a while. i'm expecting us to starting getting more laws in CO related to lawns (water use), bushes/trees (fire), fences (fire). right now, it's HOA specific; we need laws so all the HOA convenants get consistent.
none of this risk is getting better.
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@paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope @ai6yr similar stuff is happening in California. It's very rare to see a new wood shake roof anymore. By us in Monterey it's mostly asphalt shingles with some tile roofs as well. By my parents in the mountains it's 95% metal.
@douglasvb @paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope The last house with shake roof in this neighborhood burnt down
(I think wood stove fire, the embers from their own stove set the roof on fire). -
@douglasvb @paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope The last house with shake roof in this neighborhood burnt down
(I think wood stove fire, the embers from their own stove set the roof on fire).@ai6yr @douglasvb @paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope
How do solar panels on roofs fare when there's a fire? They're pretty expensive, and if they are always getting ruined by fire or weather you'd never get your money back. Maybe these hide-away folding panels would survive better.
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@ai6yr @douglasvb @paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope
How do solar panels on roofs fare when there's a fire? They're pretty expensive, and if they are always getting ruined by fire or weather you'd never get your money back. Maybe these hide-away folding panels would survive better.
@Anne_Delong @douglasvb @paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope There's a lot of FUD (Fear Uncertainty Doubt) about solar panels among the right wing, conspiracy theory people. Lots of disinformation trying to dissuade people from solar panels.
Payback time on panels (due to cost of electricity) in California has been about 5 years recently, it was 2 years for a bit. Probably will decrease with all the power companies jacking up rates, UNLESS, all the solar surcharges and whatnot they are putting into play counteract those savings. (huge push by the established utilities to NOT have people install solar panels, because they are worried about their profits and paying for infrastructure).
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@Anne_Delong @douglasvb @paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope There's a lot of FUD (Fear Uncertainty Doubt) about solar panels among the right wing, conspiracy theory people. Lots of disinformation trying to dissuade people from solar panels.
Payback time on panels (due to cost of electricity) in California has been about 5 years recently, it was 2 years for a bit. Probably will decrease with all the power companies jacking up rates, UNLESS, all the solar surcharges and whatnot they are putting into play counteract those savings. (huge push by the established utilities to NOT have people install solar panels, because they are worried about their profits and paying for infrastructure).
@ai6yr @douglasvb @paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope
But do the panels repel sparks better than asphalt roofs? They're designed to take a certain amount of heat, but of course if the house goes up in flames they will be destroyed.
The utility companies have a legitimate worry about the huge costs of building and maintaining the grid. In hot, sunny areas the panels help cut down peak load on sunny days, saving utilities from having to build for those peaks.
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@ai6yr @douglasvb @paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope
But do the panels repel sparks better than asphalt roofs? They're designed to take a certain amount of heat, but of course if the house goes up in flames they will be destroyed.
The utility companies have a legitimate worry about the huge costs of building and maintaining the grid. In hot, sunny areas the panels help cut down peak load on sunny days, saving utilities from having to build for those peaks.
@Anne_Delong @douglasvb @paul_ipv6 @natesiggard @MsMerope
Gizmodo: Republican Operatives Are Astroturfing Opposition to Solar Power
A new report looks at a well-connected nonprofit that has been helping grassroots groups across the country fight local solar projects—with misinformation.
Republican Operatives Are Astroturfing Opposition to Solar Power
A new report looks at a well-connected nonprofit that has been helping grassroots groups across the country fight local solar projects—with misinformation.
Gizmodo (gizmodo.com)