‘Human-Caused’ Fires

When a fire is said to be “human-caused,” that term is a bit of a catch-all for any number of things. Wildfires can be the result of fireworks, hot mufflers, overheated brakes, careless burning, and/or campfires. Fires can spread as wind drives flames, and the super-heated air from a fire can dry out and even ignite fuels ahead of the flaming front. One of the other common ways for a fire to spread is through the actual convection column, or more colloquially, the massive towers of smoke, such as those we have seen in California. As the air heats up, it carries firebrands into the air, which, in some cases, can land a mile or more away from the main fire. I’ve seen it happen, and it is a scary lesson in fire behavior and weather.

And then there is arson. I remember being called to a massive blaze that, according to reports, had been started by a drunk with a Bic lighter who decided he had nothing better to do that day. Incidentally, that was also the fire in which I got clouted in the face with the tail-end of a retardant drop and lost the ability to taste food for about a day. It turned my engine pink, too. 

As Victoria noted, at least one person suspected of igniting the Kenneth Fire in California was caught and taken into custody. Initial reports indicated that the suspect was a homeless man, and the video evidence that accompanied his arrest is fairly damning.  

As is the norm in disasters, conspiracies have begun to circulate, including the idea that a directed energy weapon may have been used to destroy buildings but not the trees. But reports of arson are also starting to circulate, and given the propensity for people to start copycat fires or to just be cruel, those reports cannot be ruled out. 

I’m hearing that people are thinking that an ARSONIST or ARSONISTS are starting fires in the valley area. (Studio City, NoHo, Burbank).

With my own eyes, I know they are.
(I called 911).

I hope all the fires are contained or put out by tomorrow morning. Be safe! pic.twitter.com/5iTSjBLzwM

— I Post What I Want 🪬 (@Sye_Lokata) January 9, 2025

Some have taken to X to speculate that illegal immigrant gangs have been starting fires for the purpose of looting evacuated homes.

The exact cause of these fires may never be made known. I trust the “leaders” in California to be forthright about as much as I trust the mainstream media. And that isn’t very far. But one thing is clear: at present, we are woefully unprepared for natural disasters and acts of violence. 

Exclusively for our VIPs: I’ve Fought a Few Wildfires. I Have Some Thoughts on California.

When I was transitioning out of wildland fire and into bioterrorism response, one topic that was discussed in somber tones was the potential for terrorists to start wildfires. Much of the West has been coping with drought to one degree or another for years, and while Utah has mostly made its way out, the same cannot be said for California. The fear was that terrorists would buy packs of fusees (road flares) and take a jaunt through the forests and wildlands, tossing them hither and yon. 

Sound far-fetched? The idea of a would-be jihadi running a truck into New Year’s Eve revelers sounded far-fetched once. Depending on your age, you may recall a time when the notion of terrorists bringing down the Twin Towers would have been laughable. Those kinds of things aren’t supposed to happen in America. Still skeptical? Well, grab a seat and the beverage of your choice, and let me tell you a story.

As a reporter, I used to ply my trade in a little town in northeastern Utah called Vernal. One fine day, not long after the 9/11 attacks, a group of men showed up at the local office of the Bureau of Land Management, looking for directions to the Flaming Gorge Dam. They said they wanted to do a little fishing. That in and of itself is not odd. The Green River below the dam is known as a blue-ribbon trout fishery, and people fly in specifically to fish the area. I myself took a load of trout out of the waters around Vernal, mostly while ice-fishing. 

However:

These men were Middle Eastern. They were wearing slacks, dress shoes, and button-down shirts. One does not need to be an avid angler to know that is not fishing attire. On a hunch, a law enforcement officer decided to head up to the dam to check on them. There was not a rod or reel in sight. These men were not fishing. They were taking photos of the dam and giving it the once-over with binoculars. Whatever they were interested in doing, they were not on the Green River to wet a line that day. 

It would be irresponsible and speculative of me to assert that these fires are the work of terrorists.  But one thing is clear: America has wasted precious time on gender, DEI, gas stoves, renewables, EVs, pronouns, drag queen story hours, and “mansplaining.” And those are just our greatest hits. Those asinine distractions made a small segment of the population feel superior to the rest of us. Our “leaders” have fretted over the most ridiculous of minutiae. And real life, whether it is a human-caused or natural disaster, doesn’t give a damn about pronouns.  

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