Malibu $ is no match for Mother Nature

Malibu money is no match for Mother Nature

Wildfire sweeps through wealthy enclave of Malibu
No quick end seen to California wildfires

powered by SphereBy Dana Ford
more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN2249267920071022?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&rpc=22&sp=true

MALIBU, California (Reuters) - Some of Malibu's wealthy denizens may reign over Hollywood, but Mother Nature has once again shown who's really in charge of their picturesque seaside retreat.

Since wind-driven wildfires erupted in Malibu's canyons before dawn on Sunday, hopscotching flames and embers have wrecked havoc on this affluent enclave in the hills and beaches west of Los Angeles for the second time this year.

"It's been very touch and go for the last 24 hours. It was literally right up to the doorsteps yesterday afternoon," Malibu resident Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of Dreamworks Animation, told Reuters on Monday.

"I'm in Chicago right now, so I don't know the latest, but it's obviously very, very scary for all of us out there."

Five homes were destroyed on Sunday, including a landmark castle that belonged to philanthropist Lilly Lawrence, who estimated her losses "way up in the double-digit millions."

But intelligence is also no match for Malibu $.

A few days after the '92 conflagration a friend and I went walking back through the various chunks of Malibu that had been hit. We could see vestiges of the *previous* fire from who knows how many years ago. There were places where subsidence had caused parts of the hillsides to slump. You could see the burn pattern, the vast unconsumed amount of fuel back in the canyons and the charred remains of houses and cars.

We discussed the intelligence behind building back up in there. You could see where they had tried to rebuild after the ground slumped, even though odds were it would slump again. You could see the remains of what previous fires did.

We had no doubt whatsoever that the wealthy people that lived up in there would (a) get insurance and disaster money for rebuilding (b) in the same beautiful, yet highly unwise place they had previously chosen, (c) secure in their faith in the stupidity and weakness of their fellow citizens to make sure that their foolishness produces no serious financial loss (emotional losses, sure, but that's apparently not enough) for anybody but their fellow citizens.

I feel sorry for the people that have lost houses. But I think the proper course is to buy their burnt out houses, their land, and convert the ground into a recreational area.

most have plenty of $ to rebuild-yet in most cases it is ridiculous to rebuild in the area-so much encroachment up and down the state...and they wonder why bobcats are in their backyards or snatching their pets.