Close to one half million living healthy trees to be cut down around San Francisco!!

[truedelphi]

71. What caused that fire was this - a lack of rain -

Which we didn't get that year until four days AFTER the fire. (Calif has a dry period from basically May to October, each and every year.)

Secondly, there was a containable grass fire that occurred and that was somewhat put out. Usually the Oakland Fire Department closely monitors any such site, for at least 24 to 36 hours, afters uch an event, assuming that often below the visible level, there can be smoldering materials not apparent to the naked eye.

Well, for whatever reason the O fire department did not bother to take such a precaution in this case. There was indeed smoldering material and it went on to be a fire catastrophe, propelled by high winds, and by the dryness of the area.

Also, many people, even in official circles, put the blame on the fact that there had been a handing over of department heads earlier that week. It seems to me that

One: perhaps there should have been a policy of having the old department head and the new fire department head work together for a few weeks, rather than abruptly shifting gears in the midst of what is always the worst time of the year in terms of fire.

Or else:

Oakland Fire Department should not make radical shifts in top personnel any time from August to October.