Thursday, January 10, 2008

remembering the California fires



A few month back, fires ravaged southern California. In one small town, more than 6 bodies have been found dead. Four bodies where identified as illegal immigrants trying to cross the border line. Two bodies where found in a burned home. The statistics don’t sound astounding. It’s not like the death tolls of a huge war. Yet, do smaller numbers make it any less tragic?

Fires destroyed half a million acres and injured 57 people within the first week. 1800 homes were burned down. They sent help from other states and brave fire fighters risked their lives for a community they did not know.1293 fire engines were used to take the fire down.

Each of the towns responded by evacuating people. This meant that people had to flee with few belongs as the ferocious flames of fire. They camped out inside their football team stadium, where they were fed by the government and local charities; and helped out by people that were lucky enough to keep their homes. The massive fire destroyed more than half a million acres, and more than 2,000 houses, although the death toll was low. The bad thing is that Southern California is in a drought and has howling wind blowing from the dessert of 85 miles per hour. It keeps getting worse ,because it has hot weather right now. So this could happen again.

Unfortunately for some of the evacuaters their homes were not insured at the time. The insurance information institute estimated cost of the wildfire damages are about five hundred million dollars. This includes damaged homes, lost businesses and the expenses of hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced. As the cost damage spread Southern California gets even more worried because they might lose some money because of having to pay for there damages.

Hopefully California has learned there lesson and should start teaching fire safety and the need for fire insurance. Maybe they could use it as a lesson in school. The people of California after this tragedy will learn many things to teach their children. They might teach the kids to go to certain places when they are in a fire. The kids may also learn to make sure a fire is out when they leave the area the fire is in. They can teach them what to do when they are in a fire by themselves with no phone. Fire safety is important for the children because if they didn't know what they had to do then something couldn't of happened to the children that where close to the fire. Many people have been affected by the fire. They have watched the place where they used to live burn down. The ones who where affected more where the ones who lost a loved one.

Go back to Article page on Social Voice Website

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