California Fires: Everyone ok?

[Pink Partridge]

I can see the fires from my home. Air quality in my area is unhealthy, but I am safe.




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Thank you for checking in! That picture is surreal. Beautiful and haunting at the same time. I am glad you are safe.

 

[tvguy]

To be fair, it's understandable @tvguy would be a bit het up about the situation and not looking at it from a detached and rational perspective when his family is at risk of being affected. Sometimes you need to give grace for going all Veruca Salt on a situation.

Well, it took longer than I expected, but it is the big story now. Even displacing President Jimmy Carter's funeral today as the lead story. I would say, while I do have family in Southern California they are not in harms way, my perspective is primarily based on what is newsworthy. And the Journalism forums have been filled with the same concerns I had at how slow the national networks were to react.

 

[tvguy]

No one is denying the this is "world news". But expecting Networks to go "wall to wall" (which you were complaining that they weren't) is different. The fires ARE getting world coverage. Still doesn't mean there aren't other stories "world news worthy".

No, I was not talking wall to wall. I was concerned that it wasn't their top story in scheduled newscasts. The example I gave, if you scroll up, was a sidebar interview with an author on Jimmy Carter. It was filler. If it was the day Carter died, or today, the day of his funeral, I might have been more understanding. But today, the networks are putting fire above President Carter. The first mention of the funeral just now was 11 minutes into the scheduled newscast on CNN. The previous 11 minutes was all fire coverage.

 

[PacificCoaster]

Well, it took longer than I expected, but it is the big story now. Even displacing President Jimmy Carter's funeral today as the lead story. I would say, while I do have family in Southern California they are not in harms way, my perspective is primarily based on what is newsworthy. And the Journalism forums have been filled with the same concerns I had at how slow the national networks were to react.

To be fair, and rightfully so, you do sound a bit biased. I would be too if I was in your shoes.

 

[soccerdad72]

No, I was not talking wall to wall. I was concerned that it wasn't their top story in scheduled newscasts. The example I gave, if you scroll up, was a sidebar interview with an author on Jimmy Carter. It was filler. If it was the day Carter died, or today, the day of his funeral, I might have been more understanding. But today, the networks are putting fire above President Carter. The first mention of the funeral just now was 11 minutes into the scheduled newscast on CNN. The previous 11 minutes was all fire coverage.

Your first post on this thread, which started this whole sidebar, literally said

Nothing against President Carter, but I think the fire should be wall to wall coverage at this point.

 

[ClaraOswald]

In CA they have built in zones designated as the worst you can possibly build in when it comes to wildfires. They build homes that are literally fuel to fires with the landscape around them, how they are terraced as well as the rating of the local fire departments. They've been warned for years not to do this. Insurance companies have been pulling out of CA for a while now though it's not just a home insurance issue. The way insurance works is it's a pool of money and risk spread out across the places an insurance company writes policies in. CA has some major culpability into why they are in the situation they are in with repeated wildfires that are only increasing in devastation and costs. That doesn't take away from the human and animal and wildlife toll it takes for those impacted but there are things that have been allowed that have increased their vulnerability.

How old/new are the houses that you're talking about in those zones?

 

[sam_gordon]

Your first post on this thread, which started this whole sidebar, literally said

You beat me to it!

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Update latest press conference approx 9am LA time

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

How old/new are the houses that you're talking about in those zones?

Old enough when the risks were known as well as new enough when the risks were really known especially as increased climate interactions were occurring and anticipated. Upcoming neighborhoods/developments as well built in areas designated as high fire risk, some having been blocked successfully others unfortunately not.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Update latest press conference approx 9am LA time

Nice to see Mayor Bass made it back from Ghana

 

[tvguy]

Your first post on this thread, which started this whole sidebar, literally said

I should have said within the format of the newscast. I misspoke. Not meaning to blow out commercials.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Old enough when the risks were known as well as new enough when the risks were really known especially as increased climate interactions were occurring and anticipated. Upcoming neighborhoods/developments as well built in areas designated as high fire risk, some having been blocked successfully others unfortunately not.

Can you be more specific or point me to where I can find this info? I'm curious about how long people have known this area was bad as well as the age of the homes. And you seem to have some knowledge on the subject.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The searching of property for estimated damages (watching the linked video a post or two above) is one thing but searching for people must be so agonizing and horrible for those doing it

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Can you be more specific or point me to where I can find this info? I'm curious about how long people have known this area was bad as well as the age of the homes. And you seem to have some knowledge on the subject.

Sure I'll PM you, it's hard to search the internet at the moment as most of the pages will be about the current wildfires.

 

[eticketplease]

Nice to see Mayor Bass made it back from Ghana

I was checking in with family and they were saying the same thing. If it was a scheduled trip she could at least comeback early..

Luckily family is close to the cut off line of being evacuated but has not had to yet.

Lost power but other than that they are safe.

 

[DCLMP]

Bravo to Fox 11, ABC7 and all other local stations for preempting network programs despite being owned by the networks. Abbott Elementary, Hell’s Kitchen, and other network shows are NOT APPROPRIATE TO AIR in an emergency situation like this.

Agreed.

 

[DCLMP]

Watch harder! Unless you don't find it insulting because you agree with them.

The buck always stops with leadership. If that’s what you are referring to. They are fair game.

 

[anniemae]

The images coming out of LA don't even seem real. I feel like Im looking at scenes from an apocalypse movie. My heart goes out to everyone dealing with these fires.

 

[LKing]

Thank you for checking in! That picture is surreal. Beautiful and haunting at the same time. I am glad you are safe.

Thank you.

 

[cabanafrau]

Well, it took longer than I expected, but it is the big story now. Even displacing President Jimmy Carter's funeral today as the lead story. I would say, while I do have family in Southern California they are not in harms way, my perspective is primarily based on what is newsworthy. And the Journalism forums have been filled with the same concerns I had at how slow the national networks were to react.

You started off telling us in this thread your son and family are ten miles from one of the fires, so I (logically) assumed your frustration was out of worry and anxiety. It seems I stand corrected, and your frustration is merely the event wasn't getting the mass of reporting you feel it merited based on your experience in the news business.

I don't understand how you could have spent that many years in the business and not realize that frustration is routinely shared in any major news story with human collateral damage? On that scale this story is no different from thousands upon thousands of tragic and jarring events that have been in the news even before television. Many were frustrated when the 9/11 coverage overlooked Shanksville and DC just to focus on NYC.