Posted by bugmenot on August 23, 2007 at 4:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

rumor has it this fire has been mis-managed.

Posted by sog55 on August 23, 2007 at 5:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

when can i wash my car?

Posted by ednemechek on August 23, 2007 at 5:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE FIGHTING THE SANTA BARBARA ZACA FIRE AND COMMENTING ABOUT IT HAVE, FOR THE MOST PART, FORGOTTEN WHAT THE PURPOSE OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS IS. IT IS TO PUT FIRES OUT!! NOT "MANAGE" THEM FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS WHILE THEY THREATEN,DESTROY,AND KILL. FIRE IS NOTHING TO FOOL AROUND WITH, IT HAS TO BE STOPPED IMMEDIATLY. THE FAILURE OF THE U.S.FOREST SERVICE TO DO THIS NOW AND OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS HAS CAUSED THE LOSS OF THOUSANDS OF HOMES AND SCORES OF LIVES INCLUDING THE BURNING OF LOS ALAMOS, NM. AND OUR NUCLEAR FACILITIES THERE IN 2000, AND THAT WAS STARTED BY A "CONTROLLED BURN" BY THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE AGAINST THE WARNINGS OF THE U.S. WEATHER BUREAU, ACCORDING TO NEWS REPORTS. THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING HERE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE FOREST SERVICE WON'T ALLOW THE 12,000 gallon DC-10 SUPERTANKER WATERBOMBING AIRCRAFT TO DROP RETARDENT ON FEDERAL LAND TO END THE FIRE OUTRIGHT. MY FAMILY WAS ALMOST KILLED IN THE LAST BIG FIRE IN THE YUCCA VALLEY AREA AND NOW I HAVE RELATIVES IN OJAI THREATENED BY THE SAME FOREST SERVICES' INSANELY INCOMPETANT FUNCTIONING. ALL THE RECENT MAJOR FIRES, INCLUDING THIS ONE, COULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED IN A SINGLE DAY IF A SUPERTANKER HAD BEEN CALLED IN AT THE BEGINNING!! IT'S OBVIOUS THE FOREST SERVICE IS BURNING CALIFORNIA (AND ABOUT TEN OTHER STATES) BY RESTRICTING SUPERTANKERS FROM FEDERAL LAND AND WE SHOULD DEMAND BETTER FROM OUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS--NOW!! WE SHOULD USE THE DC-10 CONTINUOUSLY ON FEDERAL AND STATE LAND UNTIL THESE FIRES ARE OUT. --ED NEMECHEK --760-246-8059

Posted by JenLynn on August 23, 2007 at 5:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why are they not letting the Supertanker on Federal land?

Posted by ednemechek on August 23, 2007 at 5:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If the DC-10 Supertanker had been used at the start of these fires the fires would have been out in a day or two instead of weeks of months as is now the case. We can't continue protecting the profiteering interests of the Forest Services' "old boys' club" (which is certainly NOT keeping nature in her place). It is critically important to STOP THESE FIRES and save our homes, lives, and loved ones by using the DC-10 immediatly and CONTINUOUSLY! We must save our homes and families from the threat of U.S. Forest Service facilitated fire in this case by compelling the continuous use of the DC-10 by applying overwhelming public pressure on the Forest Service to do so. It's not accidental that Congressman Dana Rhorabacher of Huntington Beach, Ca. has condemned the U.S. Forest Service for failing to use the DC-10 in the past describing them as "the worst old boy network he's encountered in his career"!-and I say the Forest Service is certainly proving him right as they continue their foot-dragging on the DC-10 use issue. We as concerned citizens must force U.S. fire officials to protect us because they obviously will not do so on their own. We must act now and the DC-10 is the answer. Call our representatives everywhere -Ed Nemechek-760-246-8059. see:www.JBS.org (search: wildfire).

Posted by JenLynn on August 23, 2007 at 7:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I ask again ...Why are they not letting the Supertanker on Federal land?

Do you have an answer or are you just assuming?

Posted by ednemechek on August 23, 2007 at 7:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

AN ANSWER FOR JenLynn: I was glad to see the media report from Ojai, California that the 12,000 gallon capacity DC-10 Supertanker water bombing aircraft is now dropping fire retardant on the Santa Barbara Zaca fire on federal land, in addition to state land, with CAL -FIRE picking up the tab. Sadly, this is the first time I've heard of the U.S. Forest Service using a Supertanker in any way but I'm glad for this small but significant improvement. The DC-10 or Supertankers like it are THE SINGLE SOLUTION to uncontrolled wildfires in our entire country which the U.S. Forest Service has refused to use and obstructed for over 12 years, thus facilitating the destruction of thousands of homes and scores of lives with seeming impunity then and now(see: www.JBS.org (search: wildfire). This has to stop and the officials involved prosecuted if we are to stop being horribly victimized by a U.S. Forest Service that promotes deadly fires instead of putting them out. It's sad also that CAL-FIRE has to foot the bill for DC-10 drops on federal land to stop fires that the U.S. Forest Service WON'T stop that are threatening California. The truth is that 5 or 6 Supertankers (3 DC-10s' and 3 Boeing 747s') would pragmatically end all uncontrolled wildfires in our country which is what we need! We must not forget that all our major fires in California (and the rest of the country) during the past 12 years could have been stopped by the Supertanker aircraft the U.S. Forest Service deliberately REFUSED to use. Some people are saying this is because the U.S. fire officials view massive fires as money making opportunities for themselves and their sweetheart sub-contractors and the longer the fire burns the more money they're going to make. I realize this sounds too horrible to believe can happen in America but I will comment from my personal experience in dealing with politicians and bureaucrats for a great part of my life by observing that they have constituted the seemingly dumbest, most self-serving, truly sub-human life forms I have ever met, who care about their paychecks and pensions but absolutely nothing for human life or suffering. This has to change and the U.S. Forest Service is a good place to start. Contact your representatives now and demand Supertankers be developed and used on ALL uncontrolled wildfires and use the DC-10 CONTINUOUSLY until this fire is contained!, not just every other day or so.-Ed Nemechek. --760-246-8059 (ednemechek@verizon.net).

Posted by ednemechek on August 23, 2007 at 7:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

JenLynn Attn: MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUPERTANKERS THE US FOREST SERVICE HAS NEVER AND IS NOT USING (except the last few days if CAL-FIRE foots the bill!): IF YOU WONDER ABOUT MY ACCURACY, HERE'S SOME PLACES TO CHECK: DC-10 SUPERTANKER (ON INTERNET), EVERGREEN SUPERTANKER (ON INTERNET) WATERBOMBER.COM (ON INTERNET),FIREBOMBER PUBLICATIONS BLOG (ON INTERNET). ALSO, REMEMBER THAT THE FOREST SERVICE WILL NOT USE THE DC-10 ON FEDERAL LAND FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS, (DURING WHICH TIME THOUSANDS OF HOMES AND SCORES OF LIVES WERE HORRIBLY LOST), WHERE MOST OF THE FIRES ARE, BUT THANKS TO GOVERNOR SCHWARTZENEGGER AND THE HEAD OF CAL-FIRE AVIATION, MIKE PEDILLA, WE AT LEAST HAVE THE DC-10 COVERING CALIFORNIA PROPERTY. THE TROUBLE IS WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE FIRE TO BURN UP HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES OF FEDERAL LAND + PEOPLE AND BUILDINGS BEFORE WE CAN USE IT WHEN IT FINALLY GETS TO STATE OR COUNTY PROPERTY! WE SHOULD CALL OUR LEADERS NOW AND DEMAND SUPERTANKERS BE USED ON FEDERAL LAND IMMEDIATLY AND CONTINUOUSLY. Also see: www.JBS.org (search: wildfire) showing how U.S. Forest Service deliberately mismanages forests to cause wildfires. -ED NEMECHEK--760-246-8059. (ednemechek@verizon.net).

Posted by lrgvanman on August 23, 2007 at 7:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey ednemechek, why the CAPS? Don't you know your "yelling"? Anyway, you do have some interesting info.

Posted by ednemechek on August 23, 2007 at 8:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To JenLynn: More simply put, it appears the U.S. Forest Service has, for over a decade, deliberately and completely REFUSED to employ Supertanker waterbombing aircraft thus facilitating the deadly fires we have had since 1995 to, I feel, maintain their money-making monopoly for themselves and their sweet-heart contractors who profit from these deliberately prolonged fires. The DC-10 and Supertankers like it (the Boeing-747 in Oregon carries 24,000 gallons of retardant ,TWICE the load of the DC-10, but has NEVER been used by the Forest Service) will mean the END of ALL uncontrolled wildfires in our entire nation if they only USE them !! - Ed Nemechek-760-246-8059.

Posted by JenLynn on August 23, 2007 at 9:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

One more question if you don't mind...how do these "sweethearts" make money off a wildfire? I've lived in SoCal my entire life and have had my street used as a staging area for fires in Chatsworth and West Hills, I didn't notice any money making going on, unless you mean paying the firefighters. Do you mind clarifying your claims?

I do plan on checking out the info you posted thank you.

Posted by JenLynn on August 23, 2007 at 9:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I can respect ednemechek's passion, but I'm not sure I agree with his claims...but I'm checking it out for myself.

Posted by imbetnonit on August 23, 2007 at 11:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

who is in charge of this mess?

Posted by waterboy on August 24, 2007 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Firefighters are at the mercy of a variety of agencies: USFS, NPS, BLM, Army Corps of Engineers, politicians, local agencies, etc.. Sometimes dealing with the politics of a fire is far more complicated than the fire itself: see South Lake Tahoe this summer as a prime example, according to one firefighter I know who worked that fire. He said it was the most politically difficult fire he's ever fought. We have massive acreas of land like this current fire that haven't burned for 100 years, and desperately need it. Managing our forests does NOT mean protecting them against fire. Anyone who knows anything about forestry and wildlife management knows that fire is as essential as rain to a healthy ecosystem. Much of the brush around here is so old there's not much tender stuff for the deer to eat. The new growth that will come now will be a feast for many animals. If we would let the forest service manage our forests with fire, we wouldn't have to have these massive blazes. There is so much fuel on the ground in our forests, thanks to the preservationist philiosophies of the Sierra Clubbers and our desire to have homes and resorts in the forests, we have created this problem for ourselves. We are now just facing the natural consequences. It is my guess that the forest service is not using this for profit as much as simply using this fire to do what needs to be done. Our grandchildren will thank them for doing so!