From Texas Flooding to California Wildfires

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

In addition to the flooding in Houston as a result of Hurricane Harvey, West Houston was flooded when the floodgates of a nearby dam were thrown open.

In California, while Texas is fighting the wet stuff, wildfires are emerging.  As I drove home from the radio studio in Beaumont yesterday, I saw smoke rising from Yucaipa.

The Palmer fire is burning from Redlands to the edge of Beaumont's realm of influence.  In Redlands many residents were ordered to evacuate their homes Saturday afternoon.  The fire has consumed, so far, about 3,200 acres.

The fire began in Beaumont near San Timoteo Canyon Road and Fisherman’s Retreat.

The blaze broke out as a result of someone setting off fireworks, according to Cal Fire.

In northern California the town of Oroville is under the threat of a massive wildfire.  California Governor Jerry Brown on Friday issued an emergency declaration for the wildfire.  The blaze was started on purpose, and the suspect has already been charged with arson.

The Ponderosa Fire has burned nearly 4,000 acres, has destroyed 30 homes, and is threatening 500 more homes in the area.

According to Cal Fire's statewide map, 32 fires are currently burning in California.

The one getting the most press, however, is near Burbank.

The La Tuna fire has burned more than 5,000 acres in the Verdugo Mountains area.

Hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze overnight and into the morning, and at one point, the flames were spreading in four directions amid intense heat and wild winds. Three homes have burned, but no injuries have been reported, officials said Saturday.

Sunday will also have triple-digit temperatures in some inland areas of Southern California as a heat wave that has gripped the state continues.

Burbank recorded a high of 100 about 2 p.m. while the thermometer hit 95 in the Little Tujunga area, according the National Weather Service in Oxnard.  Parts of the Inland Empire topped 108.

More than 700 homes in the area are under evacuation, including 300 in Burbank, 250 in Glendale and 180 in Los Angeles, officials said.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary