California blazes trigger ‘big wind’ from Washington

Overlooked in coverage of the massive Southern California fires, now in their fifth day, are nonsensical remarks uttered by politicians in far-away Washington D.C., notes Grumpy Editor.

As brushfires charred more than 422,000 acres or about 665 square miles, some started by downed (by wind) electric wires and at least one by an arsonist, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) told reporters, “One reason why we have the fires in California is global warming.” 

Nobody asked the senator if global warming is “one reason” why summer temperatures over the past century consistently have hit a simmering 110 to 115 degrees during July and August at his home base in Las Vegas.

When a reporter sought to confirm if Reid really believed global warming caused the fires, the senator backtracked, saying many factors contributed to the disaster.

Biggest factor by far, without any dispute:

High, gale-force wind that acts like a blowtorch.

Other politicians, grabbing TV time and print space with cries for “more resources” to control the blazes, didn’t explain how state and local officials plus firefighters and other help, on the ground and in the air, could curb the powerful Santa Ana air currents sweeping off the deserts.

When California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger heard the “more resources” phrase  from an ABC News reporter, he shot back:  "The fact is that we could have all the planes in the world here --- we have 90 aircraft here and six that we got especially from the federal government --- and they can't fly because of the wind situation."