Thursday, October 25, 2007

wildfires can be contained

Whenever I see current newscast of the raging fires in California I am amazed that little has been done to correct the problem. I'll admit that the Santa Ana winds blowing from the desert set off a blowtorch whenever we have a fire.........but has anyone ever considered taking steps to prevent the fires? I doubt it. Californians spend millions of dollars fighting fires almost every year but it is after the fires begin. Why not spend a few million before the outbreak, rather than repair and rebuild after each event?

I suggest that our western brothers take a look at a method used by citrus and vegetable growers in Florida. It's called a gun cannon and it can throw a wall of water 150 to 200 feet in a circular pattern primarily to irrigate crops, but the same technique would be effective in fighting fires. Californians could construct a pipeline along the eastern borders of the fire prone areas and let the high winds from the desert carry the water back over the land, providing an effective barrier to fires. The cost of the installation would be small compared to the millions of dollars wasted in the current outbreak.

Well, Californians, there you have it. Just call any major irrigation firm and get a quote to install above ground PVC pipe in the affected areas....together with heavy duty pumps and the gun cannons. You may be amazed at how little it costs compared to the way you are doing it now.

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About Me

I was born in 1921 in Jarrell's Valley, W.Va., right in the middle of the famous coal mine war....graduated from Morris Harvey college (now Charleston University) and was a columnist for the Charleston Daily Mail... moved to Florida in 1955... appointed assistant city manager in 1957 and continued city management career in various locales until 1985, then retired. During the early sixties I was program chair for the Ridge League of Municipalities, an organization of 22 cities in Central Florida who met each month to exchange information of an educational nature. I have been a writer most of my life, starting in high school as sports editor , then in the US Navy as editor of the base newspaper in Coca Solo, Panama. In addition to writing for the Charleston Daily Mail for five years, I served as municipal reporter for the Lakeland Ledger two years. I have a high regard for the power of words.

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