For more than a week, the Palisades Fire and other blazes have ravaged Los Angeles, burning through tens of thousands of acres, causing billions in damage, and impacting countless lives.
An official investigation is under way to determine the cause, though it’s unlikely we will know much until the fire itself is contained.
However, that hasn't stopped many people from speculating about the reason for the inferno.
One of the more controversial theories making its way across the internet: that this was a biblical-style punishment. Proponents of this theory argue that God caused the fire to punish California for everything from acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community to godless Hollywood hedonism.
Did God Cause the Fire?
Shortly after the blaze began, a clip from the Golden Globes – which happened just two days prior – was widely shared online, and has since been viewed tens of millions of times. In the mid-ceremony clip, host Nikki Glaser jokingly chastises Hollywood for who they thanked during their award ceremony speeches, noting a conspicuous absence.
“Cast and crew are leading the way with eleven mentions,” Glaser says. “God, creator of the universe? Zero mentions,” she continues. “No surprise in this godless town.”
To some, this was a signal that judgment was coming.
Many online saw a certain irony in Glaser’s observation, that Hollywood elites ignored God on one of their biggest nights, only to seemingly, they think, be punished by Him days later.
“Making fun of God but need his help the next day is just beyond crazy!” reads an Instagram comment with 55,000 likes. “For real though, read Revelation 16:9,” says another.
The sentiment that the Los Angeles fires are divine punishment was widely shared online – and at one point ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ even began trending on X.
Faith Leaders Weigh In
What do the nation’s faith leaders have to say about this theory?
Interestingly, the notion that God decided to punish Hollywood has not been embraced by key religious figures.
Franklin Graham weighed in on the question, saying: “People have lost everything. A lot of people are asking ‘Why?’, and that’s a hard question to answer. We want to reassure them of God’s love - that He cares for them and that He hasn’t turned His back on them. Could God be judging Hollywood? I don't know, but I don't think so.”
Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, similarly asked his community to come together in hope, rather than point fingers. “Let’s join together in prayer for the brave firefighters battling the devastating wildfires here in Southern California,” he said in a Facebook video. “Pray for their safety and strength as they work tirelessly to contain the blazes.”
Nevertheless, it’s clear that at least some Christians disagree, viewing the inferno in Los Angeles as something closer to biblical punishment than an accident of nature.
What is your reaction?
122 comments
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oy_gevalt
Wow. Superstitious people are really friggin' stupid.
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Thunder
Whenever it's someone they don't like, it's God's punishment for not believing in their farcical fairy tale hard enough. When it's them on the receiving end it's just a test of faith. There is no event in human history which can't be contorted into an excuse for these superstitious bigots to try and ram their mass delusion down everyone's throat.
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Natalie
Although I am a ordained Minister/Rabbi.. I do not see what religion or G-D has to do with all of the fires. what i have seen on the news they think it was a fireworks and the Santana winds.. that started all this.. so what does religion have to do with it?
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Alan Meunier
Yes, in the very same way he punishes Floriduh and Texass with the hurricanes and floods. (sarcasm font). Bottom line, due to the VERY real climate change things will only get worse. If it is punishment for anything it is the punishment for man's stupidity and ignorance toward climate change. What is going to happen in 20 years (or less) when Floriduh is HALF the size if in existance at all?
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Theresa C. Marquess
God does not punish Florida or Texas by causing hurricanes and floods. Yes, I do see your comment as being sarcastic, Alan. As a 40+ year resident of Florida, when a storm passed through, I prayed for those who were affected in any way by the storms, and for the souls of those who lost their lives. We tried to lend a hand to those in need, shared what we had, and prayed prayers of thanks for what we had to rebuild upon.
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Lawrence Pearce
You're right. If "climate change" is the only reason for the fires, then why isn't the rest of the world on fire every day?
The phony religious cult of "global warming" and "climate change" is nothing but a money grab from billionaire grifters who own mansions just a few feet above sea level around the USA, Bermuda and Hawaii. They think we are too stupid to see what they're doing as they fly around in private jets to their oceanfront properties while lecturing us on how we should live our lives.
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Theresa C. Marquess
Somehow I knew that I'd hear from you, Lawrence! As usual, you got the entire point of my post wrong. I, personally don't believe in the climate change crap that the news media has been handing us for years. The earth goes through cycles. No one can alter those things. People get careless with fire, lightning can strike, or spontaneous combustion can cause dry trees to ignite. Fires happen. It's totally unfortunate. With regard to the weather, hurricanes, tornadoes, flash floods, meteor strikes, and whatever natural disaster comes our way, it's up to us to set aside our own needs, pitch in, and do whatever we can to help our neighbors.
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Alan Meunier
Other areas of the world ARE on fire (I live near Berlin CT USA, we had a wildfire for weeks) , hurricanes are stronger, flooding is occurring more often. People watch these occurring in other "peoples lenses" as it get closer and closer to your own home, and someday, it is in your state, your town, your area, then your own backyard. . Curious, where did you get YOUR metrology/climate science degree?
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Theresa C. Marquess
Alan, no one claimed to have a degree in meteorology, the comments were made from life experiences and common sense. May you live and be well...
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Lionheart
I’m one of those in a fire evacuation zone here in Los Angeles county. There are three zones, READY, SET & GO. Fortunately, so far, we are not in the high zone of GO. I’m in a READY zone, and the fire is 55% contained and is being held from traveling eastwards towards my home.
There are various causes for the fire. One of those causes is created by mankind. We had someone arrested in a park 100 yards north of my home setting fire to some shrubbery a few days ago. This catastrophe has alerted many people of fundamentalist religions that hate the United States to consider upping the anti to consider it being a good way to create more fires and hence the pandemonium that follows. So, during dry seasons, I’m sure we will see more fires suddenly cropping up now that many realize how destructive fires can be here.
So, currently, in my opinion, the blame for the severity of the destruction being caused by these fires can be leveled at poor government of California. We all know how important forest floor management is here in California. Our Governor was alerted to this many years ago, but he preferred to listen to liberal conservationists who were more worried about the damage to the flora and fauna of forest life when creating fire brakes than considering the needs of human life.
That issue, along with some dry fire hydrants, an empty reservoir, and funding being diverted away from the fire service and forest management, are all factors in a situation that was inevitable, and just waiting to happen. So…. no mythical God was involved, just poor management by human beings.
🦁❤️
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Lawrence Pearce
The God of logic, science and common sense was booted out of California when the people voted for the dimwit governor and mayors who then failed to follow logic, science and common sense to prevent the fires!
The God of logic, science and common sense is the only God we should be worshipping. The rest of them are false gods.
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Timothy C Stone
Really, forest floor management? The state only owns about 3% of the forests, Federal gov. owns 58% and private companies own 40%. So, who is responsible for getting out there and raking the forest floor? LOL "The City Council approved the firefighter raises in November, adding more than $53 million in additional salary costs. By then, the council had also signed off on $58 million for new firetrucks and other department purchases.
Once those two line items were added, the fire department’s operating budget actually grew by more than 7% compared to the prior fiscal year, according to the city’s financial analysts...." L.A. Times Also, please read... https://www.npr.org/2025/01/15/nx-s1-5256478/california-fires-water-agriculture-palisades Those crazy facts get in the way of conservative lies.
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Lawrence Pearce
Conservative FACTS: 1. The reservoirs above LA were not filled to capacity. One of them had been empty for a year. 2. The water pumps failed to work at most key positions because they didn't have auxiliary power. 3. The fire hydrants failed to work because of incompetent leadership in LA. 4. Water was diverted away from the city and into the ocean when there was rain. 5. The new and existing houses were never required to be fire proofed. 6. The deaths and devastation of the fires were caused by the incompetence of the CA governor, the LA mayor and the arsonists who set the fires.
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Timothy C Stone
You lost me at "Conservative facts" Is that the same as 'alternative facts'?
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Michael Hunt
It's not a fact that the fires were started by Arsonists. While it's a possibility, it seems unlikely. “This is what we call inaccessible, rugged terrain,” said Rick Crawford, former battalion chief for the Los Angeles Fire Department. “Arsonists usually aren’t going to go 500 feet off a trailhead through trees and brush, set a fire and then run away.” https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/are-arsonists-responsible-los-angeles-wildfires-rcna186949
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Rev. BH
If there were a god, he would hopefully be more concerned with saving lives, homes, jobs, churches, forests, businesses pets, etc. than destroying them. Sick to think otherwise.
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Reverend Paula Copp
I think perhaps you are forgetting Sodom and Gomorra…
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Rev. BH
yes, and other bible myths.
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Reverend Paula Copp
Comment removed by user.
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Lawrence Pearce
Or you can look at it another way and that is God has been protecting all of those lives and homes for years, but when people voted for dimwits to take over the reins of power, the people reap what they vote for.
This is why some people's homes were spared while their neighbors burned to the ground. Most of the untouched homes were fireproofed by their owners because they knew they were surrounded by dimwits!
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Michael Hunt
"Most of the untouched homes were fireproofed by their owners because they knew they were surrounded by dimwits!" This is pure conjecture and not based in evidence. My aunt's house was not fireproofed any differently than any of her neighbors but so far her house has been spared because she was just lucky. It's not because she's smart and her neighbors are stupid, it's simply luck. To suggest otherwise does nothing but denigrate the victims of this tragic natural disaster.
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Chris
LA fires are no more punishment from deity than were the massive floods in the Southeast a few months ago. Any god that would kill so many people for using the free will they gave their creation is not a god worthy of honoring or recognizing. If your god chooses to punish Hollywood because they didn't thank him for their awards, that's pretty petty, not to mention passing up so many more worthwhile reasons to wreak havoc. Like, slavery, lynching, genocide of indigenous people.... Well, the list is pretty long. Suffice it to say this isn't "punishment from God."
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John Ash McCormick
you go Rev. Chris. This is all the second law of thermodynamics that is entropy has no violation ever found. Everything gets less organized with time.
How many here realize there is actual evidence that this is all a simulation?
Quantum mechanics and infordynamics lead researchers to a way to actually test if this is all a simulation.
Besides, just how much the very rich privileged people in Hollywood are more than slightly inconvenience.
Sorry, probably not a good place for a physicist to comment on God.
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Katelynne Shouse
🤣🤣🤣.......NOoooooo
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John Ash McCormick
I have this book by a guy named Newton and another by Einstein, between them they explain far more than the Bible, but that doesn"t make either of them god.
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David A Foreman
Ever notice if the bad event is in a blue state it's punishment by God, but if it's in a red state it's an attack from the devil. Hmmmm.
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John Ash McCormick
If god actively punished people for the harm they do to others and for hypocracy then the vast majority of churches would be hit by lightning during services and god would make sure the doors were all locked.
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Patti Anne Lisenbee
All my life (65 years so far) I have seen disasters in all different states and listened as all were declared "punishment from gawd" on the gawdless people there, whether it was a Bible Belt state or not. Have something bad happen to your neighbor? He/she is being punished by gawd. Something bad happen to you? The devil is attacking. Religion deprives people of thinking like decent human beings. The real test here is will we help our neighbors or will we condemn them? Looks like most people are failing the test.
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Anisahoni
Unbelievably sick and misdirected hatred toward people in beautiful California. So the invisible guy in the sky decides to "punish" people in Southern Californnia for some imaginery slight by burning down their homes and them as well. Of all the billions of people on this planet, the invisibile guy gets all sorts of credit for doing horrible things to people and Mother Earth. Delusions and sickness prevails among conspiracy theorists and so called good christians. Shameful.
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Humanism Clergy Linda
Complete nonsense it's climate change. Right wing folks live in a fantasy world. No such thing as God. Science is real! People who posted their hate for LA have some major issues. If they ever picked up the Bible they would know in New testament that not what Christ was about. He definitely was a socialist and liberal.
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Amber Fry
I'm kind of surprised people don't recognize a test when they see one. This is a test to see who will step up and help and it seems a lot of people are failing, blaming politics or ideals they don't like. Honestly now... Pitch in or pitch off.
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Kerrie Walker
It is not god, it is climate change - and we should heed the warning not just for fires, but extereme weather events across the US.
In 2023 all states experienced wildfire EXCEPT Deleware - After adjusting for state sizes, Nebraska and Oklahoma had the most acres of wildfire per 10,000 total acres, followed by Washington, New Jersey, Oregon, and California.
https://usafacts.org/articles/how-much-damage-do-wildfires-do-in-the-us/
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Rev Ned
Jan 22 is God punishing Florida with snow and cold weather now? The Anti-Christ does have a home in Florida at Mar-a-lago.
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Michelle Kitz
Wow. The comments are fascinating. If a deity is punishing humanity, it isn't the Christian deity. It's mother Gaia. The Earth is deeply wounded by the lack of care given to her by her most destructive children. We are all children of this planet and we've done so much damage. This is, simply put, climate change. More intense and frequent fires in California, floods and now snow in Florida and Texas, more intense and damaging hurricanes, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and so on.
Whatever deity you believe in, we were given free will. And we used it poorly. The humans who are the leaders are more interesting in monetary profit than in the things that really matter. That is why this is happening.
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Lionheart
So, the earth is female? Does it have a pronoun? Do we know if it wants to become trans yet and become a male planet? 🤪
I’m sure a Democrat will love to chime in here with some very uneducated rainbow comment. 🤭
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Michael Hunt
I'll leave the uneducated comments to you, LH.
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Lionheart
There you go, I wasn't expecting my comment above, laced with my bait, to be you, but that's ok. If the shoe fits! 🤭
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Rev. BH
Those of you who rejoice in the in the "punishment" of LA apparently have no friends, relatives or acquaintances there. Or have never lost everything. I can't use the words here to express my distaste for your sick commentary. If and when such loss befalls you and your neighbors, should we here express the same malicious "you deserved it!" remarks?
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Lawrence Pearce
Sadly, all of those people were betrayed by the politicians they trusted and voted for. They live in a dry desert where fires are annual events. The politicians failed in so many ways to protect them:
- Failed to bury electrical wires underground.
- Failed to keep the reservoirs full of water.
- Failed to enact "fireproof" building codes for exterior walls and roofs.
- Failed to remove fuels from areas where fires can start and get out of control.
If intelligent adults were in charge of California, then 99% of those fires would have been prevented. But since the dimwits were voted into power, the voters must take some responsibility for the disaster caused by giving their power to the dimwits who failed to protect them. Why did they vote for an incompetent governor and mayor? Impeach, remove and replace the dimwits.
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Keith Ramsey
I'm sorry, Lawrence, but your comment here is not accurate at all.
Burying electrical wires in an area that is KNOWN for earthquakes is a bad idea. The reservoirs were being filled...but with that many fires, it does not matter how much water was available, there would not be enough. You cannot fireproof a building..we have military ships that still have fires on them.There is no way that 99% of the fires would have been prevented.
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Colleen McAllister
No. God is not punishing anyone. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. And fire burns in the same way.
The simple truth is that this was a combination of extreme winds, unusually low humidity, and water needs that no system could have covered. God is not so petty that He would care about some silly award show not nentioning Him. The vast majority of homes lost were those of normal everyday people. Why would He punish them?
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Alejandro Medina de Wit
Very well put, sir
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Stacey Owens
Well said.
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Larry Duane Langwell
Well it looks like God is also punishing Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas with Hurricanes in 2024 alone. That's just the US. Did your house burn down in Kanasas? Did your car break down? Perhaps your being punished. Maybe climate change is the punishishment.
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Martha Phillips Youngblood
If God is punishing California, does that also mean he punished Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas when Helene and Milton tore through? And those states are in the so-called "Bible belt."
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Patricia Sydney Solis
A bunch of unconscious “priests” projecting their shadows on others. Read M. Scott Peck’s People of The Lie and you will understand everything going on in America today. These holy people always have the darkest shadows that they dump on everybody else and are hypocrites who refuse to look at their own darkness.
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William E Muldrew
Yes Los Angeles is over due for a cleaning of there attributes. May this wake up the people.
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Rev. BH
You can't wake up the burnt to death.
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Lawrence Pearce
In a city of millions of people, so far only 24 have died from the fires, which is a miracle in itself.
We all hope the survivors wake up and impeach, remove and replace the dimwit governor and mayor and anyone else who failed to keep the reservoirs filled, the hydrants working and the dry brush removed so any fires would have been immediately stopped.
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Rev. BH
"only 24 have died" - consoling, Lawrence.
I think the survivors have more immediate concerns than to "impeach, remove and replace the dimwit governor and mayor" Like rebuilding their homes and lives.
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arawngraalrd
ROTFLMAO, maybe you can't wake the Late, but I'll see them reincarnate, and might let them back into th country, courtesy of Diddly. It wasn't God, who started these fires, but just Anything. Gavin Newsom prevented Fire Breaks, for a routine event.
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Rev. BH
arawngraalrd -
uh, what?
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Your name is appropriate. ‘IncoherentRambler’ would have worked well, too.
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Anisahoni
What attributes? Very hateful. California is a beautiful state, filled with mostly beautiful people who care about our climate crisis which is happening all over the world. toclaim that any people deserve pain and suffering is sick and evil.
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Asa William Sprague, II
"May this wake up the people."
I thought being "woke" in L.A. was the whole reason God is punishing them.
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James Mounts
"Is God punishing Los Angeles?" Oh! I hope so.
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Anisahoni
Such love and kindness. Shameful.
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Reverend Paula Copp
James. May you receive everything you wish upon others.
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James Mounts
Spoken like a true Christian.
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Mark Hannon
Perhaps God should spend more time giving lead roles to actors that are praying for the lead roles. And really, where has God's production crew been hanging out? God has to put in the work and time to get more respect at the cinema.
And has anyone else noticed that all the movies based on Bible stories have been done more than once? Really, are Jesus, Moses and Noah the only Bible characters of any interest? I suggest using the Book of Judges. The movies would probably be rated R but they might get an Artsy Movie boost.
God should take an inward look at God's self and see the need for theatrical improvements.
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Lawrence Pearce
The evidence in the bible shows that whenever the Jews were starving or in danger in their "promised land" their god Jehovah told them he couldn't help them. Jehovah told the starving Jews to pack up their crap and walk over to Egypt, where they could submit to the Egyptian God and be rewarded with food, shelter and treasures from the higher God Amen Ra.
This was true for Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, the twelve tribes and even Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the NT.
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Matthew Mastrogiovanni
Gaia is punishing mankind for raping her resources and not caring for her. Mankind has got to learn his limitations.
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Lawrence Pearce
The earth has buried treasures and apparently the earth wanted us to come along and release those treasures from inside her. Have you considered the possibility that we are in the flow of nature?
All of the oil, coal and natural gases were at one time living plants on the earth that became buried. Now "gaia" has arranged for us to be here so we can liberate them to return to the surface to become leaves on trees, green grasses and varieties of grains and fruits enjoying the sunshine as new life above ground.
If you were a plant buried underground, wouldn't you want to return to the surface and start a new life as one of trillions of living plants on earth? Have some compassion dude.
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John Alex Paxson
We are given free will to do what is right and what is wrong ... figure it out.
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Timothy C Stone
Who decides what is right and wrong?
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Stacey Owens
Truth decides and the choice we make determines the result between right and wrong. Judgment goes both ways, binding and loosing.
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Timothy C Stone
Well I guess the Ancient Greeks are weighing in. Zeus is angry at his creations/toys and he sent fire down from Mount Olympus.
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John Ash McCormick
Sush, don't bad mouth Ζεύς, he might hear. I hear those lightning bolts are awesome.
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Timothy C Stone
All of these 'God's punishment' people are the same ones that said the tornado that hit Joplin MO in 2011 was God's punishment for something a lawmaker in DC said that God didn't like. 158 deaths half a town destroyed in the Bible belt. Men women and children killed in a very conservative part of the country. If that is the God you worship then you and he can go to Hell.
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Timothy C Stone
Oh yeah, but wait I thought lightning was the sparks from Thor's hammer.
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James Riggle-Johnson
God wants nothing to do with this. The Sodom and Gomorra story was a whiteness’s account of something he couldn’t possibly understand if it actually happened. There is a group of humans that like to find blame for why their life is not what they want it to be. People blame the Hollywood elites, as they like to call them, for their misery, while hoping an East Coast billionaire cares more about them. I hope for all our sakes that they’re right this time.
Climate change is a primary reason for this happening. Poor management of resources is another. It isn’t the fault of a Lesbian fire Chief with 30 years of experience working in different leadership roles in the fire department before getting this position. Let’s stop blaming the victims and for once come together to help them. Don’t make it political or religious. Just help in any way you can. Donate time, money, or prayer.
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Catherine Christina Deslippe
I am a firm believer in God, our saviour, and as the Bible tells us, there will be a day, a day like no other, when our Lord and Saviour will return. Are these terrible fires a sign? Is what happened in New Orleans a sign? Would God hurt those who he cares for so deeply? Or would God prepare us for what is to come? I feel that God is the light and the way, and he will guide us to a better place. Is climate change involved? Yes, I do believe that, and we all know we have to take care of our earth. How about the greed, Tariff included? Is this the way God would want us to live? No, love thy neighbour as thyself.
These are the words of the Lord.
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Lionheart
Thank you for telling us what you like to “believe”.
As for your claim they are the words of a Lord, do you have any demonstrable evidence to back up your claim, or did you read that in a book somewhere.
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Lawrence Pearce
News Break: "Jesus Ain't Coming Back" The proof is that Jesus told his disciples that they would be sitting on twelve thrones to rule with him "for the kingdom of heaven is near." He told them it would happen in their lifetime "THIS generation will not pass away before all these things happen." How soon? He told them to "sell everything" they owned and give him the cash profits because it could happen any time. How would it happen? "Do you not think I could call on my father and he would send me twelve legions of angels?"
Well according to my calendar, it's been about 1,991 years since he disappeared. His twelve disciples died homeless without sitting on any thrones, so we have gone far beyond "this generation" when he promised his disciples they would be ruling with him on twelve thrones. Sorry for everyone who got played!
What to do now? We can give thanks to our Creator the true God of Science and Nature whose wisdom advises people to earn money, help each other, protect ourselves from dangers, and enjoy our lives on earth with our loved ones.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Ahhh, HERE it is. I knew there had to be a bible-thumper that was going to chime in and sound like a Sunday radio preacher spewing nonsense punctuated by rapid gasps for breaths.
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John Ash McCormick
We have just left the Paris Agreement but that makes no difference because the previous presidents did nothing to make the slightest change in carbon consumption. Hell is arriving but it will be hell on earth, not some mythical location. Every single signer of the Paris Agreement failed to meet the goals they set. we are already past 1.5C.
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Lawrence Pearce
Carbon is not our enemy. In fact we are made of carbon and all plants need carbon dioxide for growth and to produce grains, greens and fruits. Greenhouse owners deliberately pump more CO2 into their buildings to increase the health and fruits of their plants.
Science says all of the oil, coal and gas trapped underground were plants that were living on the surface and at that time, the whole earth was a place where millions of species thrived. The drillers and miners are simply "liberating" the buried carbon plant materials so they can live again in plants on top of the earth.
The earth has been here for millions of years before we came along and the earth will still be here for another million years. It's seen dinosaurs come and go and now here we are releasing the buried plants so they can be reborn as carbon materials for new grass, trees, fruits and grains. The sun is our primary source of "global warming" and "global cooling" as we see every winter and every summer.
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John Ash McCormick
Unfortunately actual experiments, i.e. science, finds that most of our major crops, corn, rice, sheat, don't grow very well if the temperature goes up just a couple degrees higher than current peak temperatures.
BTW, it only takes a few times during the growing season when the temperature is just that little bit too high. (corn production goes down 7% with a 1 degree C temp rise.)
What should really scare many people is that it is getting too hot to grow cocoa plants, say goodby to chocolate, not to mention coffee seafood (the ocean absorbs CO2 and gets too acid for coral wich is where many fish are born) maple syrup some fruit (many need periods of freezing or cold for the trees to produce) beans wine grapes cherries and those are just the ones where production is already falling.
Also turns out that decades ago experiments showed that a minor increase in carbon dioxide makes plants grow faster, but they become less nutritious.
Also turns out that back when all that carbon was running around on big lizards instead of in the ground the temperatures were quite a bit higher. That means if we burn up all that stored carbon the temperatures will go up again to the point where mammals are the size of the famous groundhog they will soon juice up on sugar and hold up for a freezing crowd 12 miles from here.
As temperatures slowly dropped the mammals got bigger.
See, actual learning can be fun!
But did anyone else notice that the people who deny science as not being important or even true all seem to have cell phones, eat food grown thousands of miles away, drive cars, have refrigerators, take medicine as needed, etc.
You can tell because if they didn't take full advantage of science we would never hear from them.
YES, there have been warmer and colder periods before but the plants and animals had time to adapt (the planet really isn't 6000 years old) Almost nothing can adapt to big changes in a few years.
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Michael Hunt
You've clearly never taken any classes on climate science, Lawrence. If you had, you'd (hopefully) realize that your last comment is full of falsehoods. Your last two paragraphs are incredibly naive and uneducated.
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Merlin
No punishment from “God”, but from our own actions. “God” just watches. “God’s” input is wisdom if we listen. Ego is real loud.
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Karla K Thomas
There are security cameras that are on some of those homes that were scorched by fires, but not totally burned and were salvagable. (James Woods home being one of them). Two celebrity homes caught people out in the middle of woods near their homes, setting blankets and papers on fire and letting them fly into the wind. Unfortunately the people were too far away to identify but you can see waht they were doing and see the flames start in their hands. Some people were setting bushes and buildings on fire to add to the fury. I will not apologize for saying I think most of those fires were from sabbotage.
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Rev. Rory
Is God punishing LA? Which God would that be? The answer is no. Our own politicians are punishing us by ignoring sane ways to deal with the climate and natural disasters.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
Someone is always going to interpret any happening of note by the standards of their own religious beliefs. By these standards, Covid in the USA was God's punishment for the election of Trump. But you don't see people saying that, because it doesn't fit with their own prejudices.
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Dennis Horvitz
Yep.
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Lawrence Pearce
We have learned that the Covid virus was a bioweapon that came from the Wuhan lab experiments financed by Dr Fauci and Bill Gates. The misleading phrase "gain of function" was used as deceptive words instead of BIOWEAPON.
The Nuremberg Code, written after WW2 to prevent doctors from forcing untested drugs like the "Covid shots" onto humans, was deliberately violated by Dr Fauci and his cronies at the top levels of world governments.
ALL ministers and members of the ULC need to read and print a copy of the Nuremberg Code to protect themselves from becoming paralyzed or killed by the next frauds in government. Here's a link: https://research.unc.edu/human-research-ethics/resources/ccm3_019064/
Medical documentation of the deaths and paralysis caused by the untested Covid shots:https://openvaers.com/covid-data
God bless everyone who cares about themselves and their loved ones!
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Rev. Mojo
Merry Meet all, I have always wondered how a loving god would use "punishment". Merry Part, Rev. Mojo
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Eugene T Rice
I feel that I am now living in the days of the Inquisition. If God is punishing a sin, it has nothing to do with who was thanked at a particular event. I refuse to see an all powerful God as that petty and insecure. If a sin is being punished it may be the evil of politicians who deny climate change because their election campaigns are financed by the fossil fuel industry. Is it possible that God is punishing the officials so corrupt that they allow real estate developers to build gated communities in areas that are virtually guaranteed to burn? Perhaps he is punishing the preternaturally stupid citizens who refuse to perform due diligence and hold their elected officials to account for their sinful knee bending to the Yankee dollar. . I am nauseated by any belief system that takes joy in this disaster because Hollywood films do not reflect a particular theology. This is not Sodom and Gomorrah. This is an American city, populated by American children of God. We are American Christians not American Diabolists.
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Stacey Owens
What was the the word God revealed to the people of LA that he was going to punish them? Gods way are not our ways nor His thoughts our thoughts. Yet we speak for God. If people would seek God and understand the Holy Spirit of truth, they would understand, the punishment was self inflicked. This situation came upon them because they only acknowledge their own lives. The thief in the night is an unexpecting curcumstance, they were living unaware and did not know the thief was coming. They reaped what they sewed. God had nothing to to with it. Just like Sodom and Gomorra, they suffered distruction because they lived in evil. They received no warning, it just happened. This is why it is written, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Choose you this day who you will serve or beware of the thief in the night. Amen.
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Nicholas J Page
If you stop building wooden homes this would not happen.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Says the third little pig??
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ServantOfJudgement
The bible lays out again and again a clear set of cause and effects for personal actions along with societal/national actions. Do this, and that will happen. Put you head under a falling hammer, you'll get hit. You can trust it.
The Japanese were the last people to worship their emperor as God. God doesn't like that. He ended that practice with a crushing defeat to Japan where the god emperor had to surrender to a bunch of inferior entities. In a shameful display the god emperor begged a mere human for mercy. Good job God and thanks for that.
In Asia where they've declared a mere monkey sacred they're being overrun by the animal. They want to worship a monkey so God has given them all they can stomach. God has a sense of humor. One day they'll decide not to worship a furry beast.
God sent the evil Cortez to destroy the evil Aztec and its ruler Montezuma for their breathtaking human sacrifices.
California and Hollywood have repeatedly and reliability attacked and mocked God in many many ways. Most of its actors openly hate God and with pride say as much. The mainstream music industry is now full on satanic. Absolutely vile imagery from their music videos.
There are actually very few miracles or actions performed by God that are outside natural effects. It's his universe, his to do what he will in it or with it. He doesn't need to force California politicians to guarantee out of control wild fires. He just needs to let them be as stupid as they naturally are. No bright blue lights and thunderclaps, just stupid slick politicians and the godless blind to elect them.
You don't need to believe in God or anything the Bible says for these things to happen. They will and do, over and over again. You can count on it. California will not learn, they will continue in judgement. Bummer, it's a cool state minus the godless animals running the place.
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Lawrence Pearce
In the case of the California fires, the primary causes were the dimwits in charge.
They are the ones who failed to keep the reservoirs in California filled with water. They failed to enact laws to bury electrical wires underground. They failed to require fireproof metal roofs and walls on all houses and buildings in fire prone areas. They failed to remove fuels from areas where fires could start.
Those four fireproofing actions required intelligence, common sense and scientific application, none of which the dimwit governor or mayor had, even as they posed for the paparazzi. Impeach, remove and replace the dimwits.
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Mathew Mowbray
act of God - no insurance money for you
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Todd Leslie Miller
If God wanted to punish LA for sin or whatever he has more potent weapons in his arsenal than a mere brush fire. I used to think that the LA fire was God’s retribution but the more I thought about it the more I came to the above conclusion. One of the reasons God executes judgment is to draw his wayward children back to him. A prime example of this is the Babylonian captivity in the Bible. IMHO, a raging fire is not going to win souls for Jesus in and of itself. I can remember back in the 80s when AIDS was seen as divine punishment against the LGBTQ community. Nobody figured that anyone can contract AIDS. What we need to do is help the affected areas any way we can. Prayer, donations to relief organizations or even going to LA and giving direct support. In this way we will be obeying what Jesus called the second great commandment.
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Tony Steven Minish
Our Democrats were bent on erasing God from our country at the same time stealing as much as they could from Americans. They are responsible for millions of American deaths over the past few years! That said it was NEWSOM who is 100% responsible for the fires, there are Smelt all over the world!!
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Tecla Caryl Loup
Pishtosh.
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Ronald George Horner
Faith is the acceptance of what we cannot understand. Scientific explanations or Biblical retribution? Our faith allows us to see what science tells us not to believe. "The truth is out there..."
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Ellen Fox
Here’s my take if it matters, “Are we alone in this Universe? Could it be possible that horrible events can push humans to help each other to create a higher level of consciousness? Is the goal for this existence to just help each other? No one has the answers but it’s clear that love did come pouring forth, helping each other! Love does change the collective field”
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Milanko Djurdjulov
Deacon Milanko Djurdjulov Its hard to comment on the end times, but it easy to understand Gods Laws and teachings. In Galatians 6:7 We can read about this and our behavior as people. Simply put; I believe these events and tragedies, though very saddening to hear about, should be self evident to us all. We Reap what we sow. We should always be prepared, as a good scout. and what I remember from my youth, the three little pigs story. Do you recall whose house was standing and what he did to receive this blessing. Yours in Christ, Brother Milanko
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John Ash McCormick
How about Leviticus? Seems like most people qualify for a quick stoning.
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Ronaldo
God wants all to come to Him by their own free will. This is why He gave us that gift. While the New Testament does hint at potential wrath of God moments, it does not actually say that God punished, or will punish, anyone this side of the grave after Christ came along to save us.
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Lawrence Pearce
What about Acts 12.23 where it says, "Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died."
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Richard Jay Cortrecht
It is the devil that comes to kill, steal and destroy. So perhaps you are blaming the wrong entity.
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Richard T. Dallas
A weak Biblical argument might be made for the Judgement of God. The fires have far more to do with ridiculous and failed executive / managerial ability. Millions of gallons of available water to fight the fires is wasted, and sound principles of forest management are non-existent. Both L.A. and Cali cut fire fighter staff and budget. Chalking it up to Climate change is a cop-out, and a bunch of drivel. Despite propaganda to the contrary, climate change is FAR from settled science. Google: "The Global Warming Petition Project". They have 31,000 climate scientist (9,000 with PHD's) who say so. To NOT BOTHER looking that up is just absurd and intellectually lazy. Rich Dallas-Chaplain-A.C.L.C. Biblical Counseling Intern Cornerstone Baptist Church of Roseville Michigan, USA. PRAY FOR THE VICTIMS OF BOTH THE CALI FIRES AND NORTH CAROLINA
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Richard T. Dallas
I LOVE this guy! He's a real BRANIAC and a great man of GOD!!
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Lawrence Pearce
It's well known among lifetime residents of California that when the "Santa Ana" east winds blow, arsonists start fires up in the hills and watch them burn down toward the city of LA. The fact that the governor and mayor failed to do their jobs by keeping the reservoirs filled with water, the fire hydrants and pumps working, and ordering all new and existing homes and buildings to be fireproofed, shows they must be impeached, fired and replaced immediately.
All of the destruction and deaths caused by those fires rests squarely on the shoulders of the governor of CA, the mayor of LA and the arsonists who started the fires. Don't blame God for the incompetence and stupidity of those who failed to prevent the disaster.
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Bashar Yaqoob Haddad
O You Who Hear Prayer: A Call to Intercede and Pray for California have an opinion, but God alone is the true Judge. Instead of judging others, let us lift our hands in prayer, interceding for the suffering and for those who have lost their homes. ourselves feeling helpless and grieved. But in such times, our response must not stop at sorrow—it must extend to prayer. God is the One who hears prayers and saves souls. He can turn mourning into hope and despair into joy.
faith and humble hearts, trusting that God has the power to change circumstances and save souls. Let us continue to pray for California and for all those suffering around the world. "O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come." (Psalm 65:2)
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Stacey Owens
Well said.
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Thomas Pederson
imo no, God is not punishing the suburbs of LA for things said/done. God gave us free will. To choose. Many make bad choices in words, and actions. This disaster is a result of climate conditions, combined with poor development planning. As devastating as the fires were, God is also witness to the many who have come together, helping and working for the greater good. 🙏
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JT Sunrise
Fire, Judgment, and the Wayward City
Los Angeles burns, and the world watches. Some cry for mercy, others search for blame, and still others whisper of divine wrath—that the city of angels has become a city of demons, and that fire is its reckoning.
The Palisades Fire is not the first, nor will it be the last, to strike the land of excess. But does it come as a natural disaster, a human failing, or a sign of God’s anger?
Judgment or Consequence?
There are those who rush to declare calamities as the hand of God, punishing a nation that has drowned itself in sin. They see Los Angeles—a modern Babylon, a city where the rich mock morality and the powerful play god—and they wonder, why would the Lord not send fire?
And yet, Scripture teaches us to be slow to declare His judgments, lest we, too, be found guilty:
“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:2-3)
Jesus rejected the assumption that tragedy automatically meant punishment, but He did not deny that the world is broken—and that brokenness comes with a price.
So then, is the fire divine wrath, or is it the result of a city so intoxicated by its own power that it believes it can outrun the wages of sin?
The Burning of a Civilization
Fire consumes. It destroys the rotting infrastructure and the grand towers alike. The flames care nothing for wealth or ideology, for status or power. It is a great equalizer, a force that reveals the frailty of all human empires.
And what is Los Angeles if not a temple to man’s own pride? A city built on exploitation and illusion, where souls are traded like currency and the most profane desires are celebrated as virtues.
Hollywood mocks God, but still expects His blessings. The elites sneer at faith, but cry out for miracles when their glass houses begin to melt.
They have built a world of excess, of hedonism, of self-worship. And now, the fire comes—not necessarily as punishment, but as the natural conclusion of a civilization that rejects God yet believes itself invincible.
This fire is not just about forests and homes. It is about a culture that burns itself down for pleasure, that sacrifices everything on the altar of indulgence, and that arrogantly believes it can defy both nature and the divine.
A Call to Repentance
Los Angeles is not unique. It is simply ahead of the curve. The same decadence that now consumes it will consume the world, and the same people who laugh at the idea of judgment will one day beg for relief.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” (Isaiah 5:20)
But fire is not only destruction—it is also a purifier. Gold is refined in the furnace. The soul is tested in the flames.
This fire, then, is not just a warning. It is an invitation.
To the people of Los Angeles, to the rulers of culture, to the comfortable and the complacent:
Repent. Turn from the false gods of wealth, of vanity, of power. See that your kingdom is built on sand, and return to the One who can give you a foundation that fire cannot touch.
The flames will come, whether by God’s decree or by our own hands. But we have a choice—whether to perish with the world, or to rise from the ashes, redeemed.
Rev. JTSUNRISE Celestial Nexus Church
No, Climate change is far more responsible.
If God chooses not to stop priests and church elders from raping our children, or give lawmakers enough courage keep our children from being shot to death in school, I’m confident it isn’t interested a fire that is compounded by human activities.
Nonsense. If "climate change" was the only cause of the fires, then why isn't the rest of the world on fire?
The fact is that Californians voted for dimwit governor and mayors who failed to fill the reservoirs with water, failed to make sure the fire hydrants worked and failed to remove the dry fuels for fires.
Another thing the dimwits failed to do is enact laws that required fireproof metal roofs, fireproof underground power lines, and fireproof exterior walls on homes and businesses. Hopefully the people will impeach and replace the dimwits forever with intelligent people who will rebuild a safer and stronger California.
Lawrence, the fact is you appear to have no knowledge of fire prevention or fire science. There fire hydrants worked..they are checked on a regular basis. The reservoirs had over 15M gallons of water stored, the storage meter only goes up to 20M gallons. In the last 15 year that it was tracked, it never hit that 20M gallon mark.
You don't use metal roofs on homes and businesses...that would cause other problems. What exterior walls do you think would be fireproof and could be used on every structure in California?
Don't forget the earthquakes, underground power lines won't allow to the line to flex/stretch.
I spent several years working in a volunteer fire department, and there is a lot more to it than what you and other foolish politicians are pushing.
There isn't a water main that can take numerous fire engines pulling water to fight 30 house fires in a single neighbor hood. There are not enough men, engines, or water to do that.
Could more have been done, sure, there is always more that could be done. You are being unrealistic in your comments, and have no idea what you are talking about.
The homes that survived the fire in LA and Hawaii had metal roofs, fireproof walls made of concrete, stucco or steel, and dry brush removed from around the buildings. A few had installed sprinklers on top of their roofs (one was a simple oscillating water sprinkler!) that prevented embers from starting a fire.
As for underground utilities, there are flexible plastic pipelines similar to those you can buy as garden hoses that will flex during an earthquake. When buried underground, they are fireproof and quakeproof. Try to keep up on the 21st century technologies, okay?
Pearce, do you live in California? Knock off the garbage. You have absolutely no clue as to what you’re talking about. If you live in California, please leave. We don’t need your nonsense here!
I have learned from firefighters on the ground in LA on what made the difference between a house that burned down and the house next door that was untouched by the flames.
The surviving houses had metal fireproof metal roofs, fireproof walls made of concrete/ steel/ stucco, metal mesh placed over the attic vents to block embers, dry brush cleared away from the house and in some cases sprinklers placed on top of the roofs to keep the house saturated with water.
So get an education on how to fireproof your house because your post shows you "absolutely have no clue as to what you're talking about." And you're not my boss. I can live in California for as long as I wish. "I don't need your nonsense here!"
It's best to stay quiet and be thought a fool, Lawrence, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Comparing the lessons learned from the fires in Hawaii and LA, it's obvious that most of the comments here don't believe any house or city can be protected from fires, when the evidence shows that houses and cities can be fireproofed when we learn from mistakes made before and during previous fires.
I've shared the "Fire Science" wisdom on this board, so if you refuse to follow the science and apply the lessons, the protection or loss of your house is YOUR responsibility.
Good call, Lawrence. The ridiculous replies are why I stopped reading here. Keith, I sell and install metal roofs and fireproof siding for homes and businesses. Metal roofing has existed for decades.
Thank you Cherie. There's a huge difference between a "volunteer firefighter" out in the sticks and the "professional fire captains" in the large cities.
The metal roof of the mansion in Hawaii that survived the fire was my first wake up call to investigate how to fireproof a house. Most of these commenters will reject the science of fireproofing their house and wonder what happened as they look on a pile of ashes.
Now there you go, you see that right there tells me that you truly have no idea what you’re talking about.
I never wrote that climate change was the “only cause” of the fires.
I wrote “far more responsible”, which is a scientific fact. Long-term drought exacerbated by 80 mile an hour winds.
When one takes and misappropriates somebody else’s words, nothing else you have to say is legitimate.
100%
Thank you Anisahoni. They say there are 3 steps from ignorance to intelligence.
First there are the critics and skeptics who say it can't be done.
Second there are a few people who will examine the evidence and affirm that it works. They will also be attacked by the ignorant critics and skeptics.
Third is when the evidence is so overwhelming that even the critics and skeptics say, "Oh we knew it all this time!" LOL