Anatomy of Disaster - Season 2 Episode 4 - Wild fires

[@donfields1234]

I lived in santa barbara roughly 10 yrs after this when the zaca fire came through and burned the entire mt above santa barbara, from goleta to montecito almost every home on the mt side burned to nothing. It ended up bieng one of the largest, most destructive fires in ca history until this past year with the paradise fire which ended up bieng even larger, more destructive and far more tragic with loss of lives. Had the wind shifted and the santa anas blown toward the ocean it would have burned all 3 citys to the ground. The fire chiefs truck was right next to mine, pointed downhill in case, we watched the mt burn for days, trees literally exploding all night long. The giant airplanes dropping lines red retardand, those double bladed choppers dropping water. All anyone could do was watch and attempt to steer it the best they could, but mostly it was just evacuating people wherever it blew. I watched that fire run down the ridge one day, leaping a quarter mile at a time, like huge fire rainbowsx the fire would lift into the air, arc 1/4 mile down ridgeline completing a full arc and exploding into the new area, absolutely insane. One of the most intense experiences of my life, front row seats to hell, my family and friends calling daily to check on me because it was headlines nationwide, and globally even for some time. Our property had one of the best views to "call the shots", and talking to the chief and firemen was when i realized more of firefighting is steering and evacuating, but not actually putting the main fire out, it would be a complete waste of assets. Understanding that was quite humbling to me, all their hard work and effort is just to get us out of the way, and steer it when conditions allow. Cheers to the brave men on the front line of these disasters, putting their life on the line doing whatever they can to keep us idiots out of harms way.

[@Amy-zb6ph]

When I worked in the fire department, my captain said that anyone who had to get into their fire shelter was in trouble if they survived it because you're supposed to leave before the fire overtakes you. In fact, there are many rules that firefighters must commit to memory that help prevent any of us from being in the situation where we would have to deploy our fire shelters.

[@acegraham7255]

Thank you for keeping everyone safe. And wow was the anyone who got in trouble because they put there fire shelter up?

[@fritters56]

From looking at the curious burn patterns after entering the city, I have questions...Course I have been been in such a fire, nor in one that seems to have burned at such high temps. I have never witnessed houses burnt right down to the slabs before nor seen perfectly green trees beside a house that is nothing but ash....

[@RealCadde]

That is a very bad thing to say. This might delay the deployment of said fire shelters and lessons learned from other deployments is that it's better to deploy too soon than too late. Even a few seconds can be enough to make you fail your deployment or get a lung full of superheated gas.

[@jenniferredus3391]

Anoter great program! Well done!

[@Amy-zb6ph]

Something I have to say about people who think they are going to stay home and "defend their homes" from fire, they're idiots. Your common garden hose only puts out about 2.5 gallons a minute. Even the smallest fire hose puts out way more water. There is even a water cannon on top of the engine that fires 50 gallons a minute and that's not even to speak of the helicopters and DC-10 planes that drop water and retardant on the fire. Don't be an idiot. If the fire department says get out or even if you see the fire coming your way, just leave and save your own life.

[@sharleneblock4888]

Thats funny thats exactly how my grandparents kept their house during a California wild fire. If it were not for my uncles and 4 garden hoses their house would have burned to the ground. They soaked everything from the fence around their yard to the house and then they soaked the house. Once everything was soaked they had 2 of them on the roof puting out any cinders that landed on the roof the other two were on the ground putting out any cinders that came in the yard. The fire went around the property and took out all their neighbors homes because fire fighters were not even in the area yet. My uncles saved their home with garden hoses.

[@linmcc8342]

@@sharleneblock4888 ... While the home was saved, they still endangered themselves and any potential rescuers. Glad it turned out well, but it wasn't the safest thing to do.

[@RealCadde]

@@sharleneblock4888 And so your grandparents actually had an easily defendable position. Because let me tell you right now, most homes cannot be saved even if you waterbomb them in a firestorm. What saves homes is DISTANCE away from fuel. It sure as heck wasn't the garden hoses that did it. Besides, the best thing you could do is rig up sprinklers that drench your home in water after you LEAVE. Just set them to keep going for as long as they can. Which in the case of a wildfire right up on the doorstep of the home will be about a minute before the hoses melt.

[@sharleneblock4888]

What all you say could have happened didnt. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut and their said they coukd save the home and they did.

[@sweetwolfsteve5583]

Like lyn mcc said their just putting fire fighters life's in danger when they decide to be stupid and stay trying to protect their home from fires it's better to lose your home and not put people in danger then stay and protect your home and out people's life in danger

[@Aprilsraven629]

As a firefighter in Australia we have come along way in protecting firefighters, one method is shown here the insulated curtains are mandatory on all vehicles but it took many firefighters to loose the lives to this occur...we also have sprinklers on the trucks, closed in cabs, fire blankets, we never ever run a tank of water dry always have a reserve, we have fire science experts, helitankers and better fire retardent uniforms....our biggest risks are nature and humans who insist on building flammable homes in high risk fire danger zones.....and we backburn to control fuels every year

[@okboomer6201]

In mountainous areas, they should dig a series of mineshafts or artificial caves as escape shelters for firefighters and others to use in emergencies.

[@shanerr7252]

Those australian fires in the 90s two old ladys climbed into the water tank and the fire boiled them alive brutal heat almost flash boils smiwing pools

[@NathanChisholm041]

Welcome to Australia 2019/20

[@alan6832]

Seems like the Aussies use hoses more, while the Americans seem to prefer shovels. Or maybe American cameramen prefer to film shovels over hoses, I don't know which. I personally prefer water.

[@rebekkahrisien7021]

It won’t stop because peoples keep moving into the woods they make fire happen

[@RealCadde]

It's about time we figure out a spray on aerogel that you can use instead of a deployable shelter. Then a small breathing apparatus to ensure you don't inhale superheated gas.

[@welderella]

These people don’t know why? Seriously? They live where they shouldn’t.

[@meghanmcclamma1662]

Shouldn't homes be made fire proof?

[@hunsadersrockinranch]

OMG, They put their horses back in the barn? WTF!

[@IsaacOLEG]

no planes ? the fire dept is not ready .

[@FloozieOne]

It is too hot and the winds created by the fire are too random making it too dangerous to get a plane over that much fire. You couldn't get low enough, but more importantly the amount of water you could drop would be totally insignificant in a fire like that. It would evaporate long before reaching the fire itself. Build a big bonfire and then drop one glass of water on it and you get the idea.

[@thehapagirl92]

You obviously don't live in SoCal or understand how wind works. Here in SoCal wildfires are often formed in conjunction with punishing winds and oxygen that is in winds will make fires worse. They would be committing suicide dropping fire retardant over a fire when it's windy because as soon as they dropped the pink retardant the fire would blow up and likely reach even high up into the sky where the helicopter is.

[@cheetahdolcini2526]

I've lived in So Cal almost my entire life. Once these wildfires take hold, & in santa ana winds, there really isn't anything the fire department can do but try to knock down brush in hopes of keeping the fire out of neighborhoods. I've had a wild fire send me scrambling to get my daughter & my younger sister, the family pets, & things I knew my parents would want saved out of an area being threatened by a wild fire because I knew that the mandatory evacuation was only a block away & the winds were blowing the fire in our direction. We got lucky. They managed to keep the fire from jumping the river. But it was far too close for comfort. It never fails to amaze me how many people do the one thing fire fighters don't want or need them to do, put themselves in harm's way trying to save their homes. You can replace things, you can't replace life.

[@Amy-zb6ph]

This was a long time ago and I'm not sure if we had the DC-10 planes for dropping water back then.

[@Aprilsraven629]

Planes are a relatively new concept and helicopters was all we had during the 80's

[@sweetwolfsteve5583]

You seriously put your life in danger for some horses those precious seconds that they helped the horses they could have used to get to safety a horse life can be replaced theirs can't

[@Bunkerdwarfputin]

Horses are sentient beings too, with feelings like sadness and pain... A horse's life can't be replaced anymore than a human's life, ffs. For someone who thinks the way you do about non-humans, you shouldn't use "wolf" in your name... ... and you should keep "sweet" outta your mouth too, because that's obviously a lie. 👎

[@kameronmusic]

Look like the fire department is just driving around playing with the vehicles....took them till night time to spray a drop of water

[@welderella]

This was aired before the ARIZONA men lost their lives.

[@alan6832]

The victims seemed rich and white, which makes me wonder if these and other fires were inspired by Rodney King. There were a bunch of suburban brush fires the season following the LA riots.

[@FTKEPDTK]

You wonder why you have 0, zero thumbs up. And one comment to remind you.