eja_ bottecchia

With new fires spreading in Santa Clarita, air quality in most of the L.A. Basin will be unhealthful.

The wind is driving the smoke towards the coast, so even coastal areas will be affected by bad air quality.

Maybe a good day to stay home and work on long-neglected projects.

Stay safe!

kingston 

I'm coming to ride the cookie fondo this weekend. Will that be affected?

eja_ bottecchia

The cookie fondo will be mostly through Ventura County and parts of LA County, close to the coast. The Malibu school district closed their schools today due to expected poor air quality.

I guess you will have to play it by ear. I have ridden those same roads and there is a lot of climbing involved. The more climbing the more air you suck into your lungs.

Does their website have any information or updates.

Have fun. That’s a great ride through a really nice course.

DrIsotope

The only fire in the Malibu area is the Palisades Fire, which has burned barely 50 acres, and only received media attention because it started in one of the richest neighborhoods in the world. That's not even a fire, AFAIC.

The two season-starter burns out in the IE did about 1,400 acres.

kingston 

No updates on the website and no emails from the organizers.

eja_ bottecchia

I am sure that the winds will calm down and that you will be OK.

Ride safely.

kingston 

The climbing is unlike anything we have here in the midwest so I'm really looking forward to the ride.

Seattle Forrest

Fire at the end of October!! 🥺

Secret Squirrel

I was starting to taste the air earlier this morning in Marina Del Rey.

Chinghis

There's a popup on there now that says the ride is on. Maybe check again, or check your popup blocker.

kingston 

I see it now. Thanks. My bike is packed and travel booked so I'm committed either way, but it's nice to see that the ride is still on.

Secret Squirrel

bring a mask or bandanna

CliffordK

A different world down there.

Up here, the fire season is officially OVER.

When I was driving in California earlier this year, I started wondering if there could be an effort to choose fire resistant dry land plants. Are there any?

I presume the Arizona Cacti don't burn well. Century plants?

It would seem like there is a whole class of moist meaty dry land plants.

terrymorse 

Looking smokey in Northern California, too. Smoke predicted to move into Bay Area this afternoon.

kingston 

This map shows a forecast that the Santa Monica mountains will be clear by tomorrow.

eja_ bottecchia

Pace yourself, enjoy the views and watch out for some of the descents, they can be tricky.

eja_ bottecchia

Fires have been a way of life in California. The Spanish settler documented huge fires.

Fires are a part of the circle of life, they clear dead plants and make the remaining vegetation that survives the fires stronger and more resilient.

Redwoods are extremely fire resistant, but we nearly wiped those out.

We should be extremely hesitant, and cautious, about introducing plants that are not native to the area. My youngest daughter is a biologist and she would give you an earful about all the adverse consequences of introducing non-native plants into the local habitat.

The biggest problem is poor land management and allowing unrestricted construction in fire-prone areas.

terrymorse 

Arguably, the biggest factor driving the massive growth in California forest fires is climate change:

"Human‐caused warming has already significantly enhanced wildfire activity in California, particularly in the forests of the Sierra Nevada and North Coast, and will likely continue to do so in the coming decades" --Williams et al, AGU100, 15 July 2019

CliffordK

I know the risks of invasive species, and they would have to be studied carefully.

Yet, we also deal with ornamental plants from around the globe. Here in Oregon, there is a native rhododendron, yet, people love imported rhodies, and hybrids, and they don't seem to be a problem at this time.

California, of course, also loves imported grapes, and those have come back to bite them big time.

One of the issues is not just fire resistance in plants, but that fire is part of the life cycle of many plants. So, in many cases, fires help germinate dormant seeds. But, unfortunately the fires aren't conducive to human habitation. And, at least in forests, fire suppression makes flammable undergrowth worse.

Both the Saguaro (Arizona Cactus) and Agave Americana (Century Plant) are native to the USA, even if not widely distributed in California. Climate Change, of course, could naturally shift native plant distribution.

Intentionally displacing species could also impact other species, for example the potential impact on the Condor.

Anyway, I would think it would be worth evaluating vegetation and landscaping that would naturally suppress fires.

And, of course, perhaps I'm mistaken about fire resistance of the Agave.

terrymorse 

What’s the issue with California’s grape crop (besides taking over every growable acre anyone can find)?

CliffordK

Wine vine smuggling faces new scrutiny

Moth forces wine country's secret into the open

Now, there are questions on how the pest came to the USA.

Nonetheless, there is a risk of bringing in much more than the plant that one desired to import.

eja_ bottecchia

Marijuana growing may soon outpace grape vineyards in California.

genec

I'm pretty sure marijuana is NOT fire resistant; I understand people burn it all the time.

CliffordK

Oh, but imagine the mood in LA when a cloud of it gets trapped in the valley.

ooga-booga

and we have plenty of both in socal. take the santa monica mountains (west of the 405) as an example. huge urban interface issues on the (mostly) north/valley side.
plenty on the ocean/south side but (except for point dume-which got recently reminded) not nearly the density/amount. when the bleep hits the fan, as it does a few times a decade
in the area, the sammos are indefensible. at some point, you have to wonder why taxpayer dollars and lives continue to be spent fruitlessly defending properties that frankly have
little business being there. the fire/flood cycle of the area is not new and the human impulse to live in an area so perfectly designed to perpetually continue said cycle is
nothing more than either hubris or denial (or some combo of each). you wanna build a totally externally constructed concrete/stone/fireproof structure/house with windows/doors
recessed approx 36 inches and live there, then okay. the fire danger is even more extreme and active than earthquake activity. i love cycling along ca hwy 27 and riding through/stopping in
the hamlet of topanga. cute. artsy. scenic. quirky. i realize, however, that every time i cycle (or drive) through there could be the last time i ever see it in my lifetime as i know/knew it.
especially late september-early december. pretty much anywhere interfacing with, (partially) surrounded by or included in angeles national forest is an identical situation.