Posted on 07/26/2006 10:28:32 AM PDT by at bay
Officials ask witnesses to the nearly 35,000-acre Canyon fire to call them
Someone's smoking habit started the immense fire that burned for more than a week west of Patterson and needed 2,000 firefighters from around the state to control, state fire investigators said. Investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said this week that forensic evidence from where the Canyon fire started near Del Puerto Canyon Road on July 9 could tell them who started the fire.
They have determined that a number of people were present when the fire started, and investigators would like these witnesses to come forward.
The Canyon fire burned nearly 35,000 acres over 10 days, sending clouds of smoke through the northern San Joaquin Valley, and cost more than $14 million to control.
According to the CDF, the fire destroyed 11 homes — mostly cabins — and five outbuildings and damaged a residence and five outbuildings. Firefighters saved several other buildings, though the steep terrain and low humidity made their efforts more challenging.
Ten firefighters suffered injuries, mostly because of the smoke and heat.
(Excerpt) Read more at modbee.com ...
Big tobacco to blame, women and children most effected.
Why blame people and not the REAL cause of wildfire, the FIRE itself? It is like blaming gun owners and criminals rather than the main culprit -- the handgun.
/s
Agreed! It is always an "SUV" that kills people, not the driver of the SUV.
LOL! Now you're going to get it!
The smokers on here are going to flame you to the point they get to light their Luckies from your burning rear end.
I agree with you, though - and both of my grandfathers were tobacco farmers.
Well as a former smoker, I get really irritated by the smokers driving with their left hand out the window with cigarette ash being flicked at whatever and eventually the butt being thrown. Yes this practice should be illegal because obviously these people have no common sense.
To hell with that. They're also blamed for a fire that closed down the G&M Restaurant. Best crabcakes in Maryland. Now THAT piss's me off!
And from an earlier post, one of the militant smoker addicts threatens me (shelyin):
Listen. I know who you are and I know where you live.
I have printed out your accusation toward me and I will take this to my attorney on Monday.
And you KNOW you can't EVER back up your statement against me because none of it is true. Enough is enough!
You keep on badgering me, and you will rue the day that you did!
This is public discourse. Relax have a smoke, have another, then another, you know the drill. Then try to compose a rebuttal that contains logic in it. I will not be threatened by the likes of you or anyone else.
Three points:
1 We see your true colors, shining through
2 Methinks the lady smoker doth protest too much.
3 Free speech for thee, but not for me.
They have determined that a number of people were present when the fire started, and investigators would like these witnesses to come forward.
Sounds like a fishing expedition to me.
You know, I would hate to be telling anyone about Free Republic and have them say something like "Oh yeah, that's where all those militant smokers post stuff about how harmless smoking is, when they're not busy puffing in my face, or putting their butts out on the sidewalk."
Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark!
Is it okay to ban smoking outside while pumping gasoline into you automobile ?
How about banning smoking for natural gas company workers ?
Smoking as a cause of fires is often a fallback position supported in many cases only by the charred but not consumed filter tips found at the scene.
It still doen't rule out intentional setting of the fire by a smoker who has a lot of patience.
Sorry, you've got it wrong. The term "smoker" refers to a person. The proper analogy would be "Shooter blamed for pedestrian death." If they had said "Smoking" blamed for fire you'd be right.
Smokers have made the entire planet their ash-tray.
If they were more responsible as a group and put their waste were it belongs, then maybe I'd have more sympathy for them.
Oh, and they smell bad.
Activists have been know often to use distractions to cover their true identities.
No member with that name.
Better outlaw lightning and camping as well. That's how most forest fires are started.
The vitrol on this thread is disgusting and intellectually dishonest.
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