Welcome to the Wild Wild West – one wonders whether wild fires contributed to this California moniker.
This year has been brutal and possibly the worst season ever. As of December 6, fire officials tallied 8,747 fires that burned through more than 1 million acres and killed 43 people throughout the state for 2017!
Fires at this time of year are quite rare. But there are at least six active wildfires burning in Southern California right now. That’s nearly the total of all large December wildfires from 2000 to 2015, according to Cal Fire statistics.
The strong winds and the ongoing drought are what cause small brush fires to spread so rapidly, this is why regular brush clearance is vital and mandatory, (yes, in spite of the amount of rain we have we are not completely out of the woods; visit www.drought.gov/drought/ states/California for our current status)
It is difficult to immediately say how the wildfires start, but some experts believe that the ones we had earlier this year could have been sparked by a malfunctioning power line or transformer. Faulty machinery, unauthorized campfires and tossed cigarette butts are other probable causes.
New transplants are often surprised that bonfires are not allowed here, as on first glance Los Angeles looks so green and lush, which is very misleading seeing as really we are a desert, with the majority of our water being piped in. A few years ago a British friend of mine stupidly threw a cigarette butt out of his car window and was baffled when a cop on a motorcycle pulled him over and gave him a serious talking to and ticket plus a date in court.
This is a very serious offense and my friend had to pay $2000 in fines plus do eight hours of community service, and was given the rather fitting job of picking up litter in Hollywood. So please take heed and be mindful as a stupid action can lead to the catastrophe we are currently experiencing.
On a happier note our Christmas party Wednesday night was a lovely event, although sadly a few of our members had to cancel their tickets due to the mandatory evacuations. If you have been affected and need some help or advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – you can email us at britsinla@gmail.com.
Congratulations to Tony who snagged a pair of round trip tickets to the UK, courtesy of Air New Zealand. And a big thank you to Beltran Brito Immigration Attorneys for supporting us once again, and Batterfish for the yummy food. Skyy vodka was courtesy of our dear friend Jonathan Ratter, who I give partial responsibility for the sore heads Craig and I suffered the following morning! British Artist Katie Brightside was the belle of the ball with her extremely popular interactive art installation. Lastly we must thank the Harden family for the fantastic venue – make sure to check out Bordo Los Angeles on Melrose, which you can read more about as founder Alex Harden is this weeks ‘Meet A Member’. We will post all the pictures from the event on our Facebook page, which you can find @BritsLoveLA
Stay safe and indoors when possible, until the air improves!
Cheers!
Eileen
