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San Diego is no Charleston

Yeah, I think you're right. I believe it was 30 years and not 25. Egad, where the hell did five years go? I don’t necessarily believe that the fire marshal or any fireperson (yuk, yuk) would have falsified the evidence, but it remains odd that the councilperson’s office refused to look into the possibility and was very defensive. It’s speculation, of course, but even speculation can lead to changes in behavior. True, we continue to make a lot of the same mistakes today, such as opting for emotion rather than reason and challenge rather than joining into an examination of possibilities and probabilities, blaming our own mistakes on God or Nature and other forms of denial and evasion—ad nauseam. Yes, the past is prologue, but we’d rather not suffer discomfit. We’d rather just have a fit or a snit. Let’s do a thought experiment. Let’s say that you contracted with the Padres to do a fireworks “show.” Let’s say one of your rockets went awry. Let’s say you saw it go awry. Let’s say that later the next day a fire started in the vicinity of where you thought the rocket landed. Let’s say something hot smoldered for hours. Let’s say you rushed out of your motel room and went over to where the fire started before the investigators got to work because everybody was on top of the ridge fighting house fires. Let’s say that you found the remains of one of your rockets. Let’s say you picked it up. Let’s say you left an alternative ignition device in its place. Let’s say that the investigators found the device, and reported accordingly. What would you do? What would you do? The honorable thing and own up? Certainly. What’s a lucrative business and a reputation, an insurance rating and perhaps a personal fortune in the face of the losses of innocents? Is it a no-brainer? It’s just speculation. It’s improbable. But is it impossible? Let’s say that you knew some of the facts, but not enough to prevail in court or convince the DA. Let’s say that if you shot your mouth off, you would get sued. But have we learned to avoid fireworks at the stadium? What has changed since then? A fuel buildup. A water-main manifold. The whole southern side of "Mission Valley" faces northeast, right into the teeth of the coming Santa Ana winds. (The winds on the day of the fire were out of the north at 15 mph--*not* Santa Ana winds. The steep slopes are still there. Many big side canyons' mouths point NE. Some people have replaced brush with weeds, tinder which increases ignition potential. Yards are full of flammable materials. Some people have added wood chips (excellent firebrand fodder to ignite and be whipped up by fire-devil winds to create a rain of fire downwind) to keep weeds down in some places. Houses far from the flame front stand vulnerable because of combustible stuff and structures. Are were better off for the experience or worse off?
— June 24, 2015 6:04 p.m.

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