People who won't evacuate.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2009
People who won't evacuate.
15
Mon, 08-31-2009 - 6:20pm

I get so mad when I read stories such as this. Five people apparently are trapped in a canyon because they refused to evacuate when told to. Now they will either die or put rescuers' lives on the line trying to get them out of a lethal situation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090831/ap_on_re_us/us_wildfires;_ylt=AtVNP.0y05YUu5wuWV0sh2qs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJxNXNiZjUxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwODMxL3VzX3dpbGRmaXJlcwRjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzIEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA3dpbGRmaXJlbWFrZQ--

<> Five people who refused to evacuate threatened areas reported they were trapped at a ranch near Gold Creek, Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said. A sheriff's helicopter was unable to immediately reach them because of intense fire activity, Whitmore said, but would try after the flames passed.

"What this says is, 'Listen, listen, listen,'" Whitmore said. "Those people were told to get out two days ago, and now we are putting our people in danger to get them out.">>

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-04-2009
Mon, 08-31-2009 - 6:44pm

I'm such a chicken, I'd be out of there days in advance if I could, but some people truly believe that they live charmed lives, and they can "defend" their homes from the flames with a garden hose.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2009
Mon, 08-31-2009 - 6:52pm

Oh, I'm the same way. I would be long gone!

This kind of thing happens every fire season with these types of bozos and every year they get away with it. Maybe the police and fire departments should have a policy that if people won't evacuate when they are requested to do so, they should be told to not bother calling if they get in trouble because the only way someone is going to come find them is when the fire dissipates and someone comes along to scrape their charred remains into a bag to hand over to their next of kin.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-04-2009
Mon, 08-31-2009 - 7:17pm
I agree.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-08-2009
Mon, 08-31-2009 - 7:19pm
I'll be honest, I live on the coast and I am one of the last to leave when there is a hurricane evacuation. I tend to think they are more interested in getting the tourists out first so I usually wait until I am really, really sure I need to leave. I would just be another car on the very crowded evacuation route anyway. That said, I would never ever consider not leaving for a fire evacuation - that is crazy! You really have no way of knowing where a fire is going - at least hurricanes move pretty slowly!
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2009
Mon, 08-31-2009 - 7:27pm

Shame on you, Janey!

Yes, I agree with you...hurricanes are much slower and more warning is given.

With regard to the people who don't evacuate for hurricanes either, though, I'm of the same mind as I am about the fires. I remember when those people in Galveston didn't want to evacuate and then the ones who survived kept calling for help since they had no water, no electricity, nothing, and they couldn't get out. I say leave them there and let them figure it out how to survive.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-08-2009
Mon, 08-31-2009 - 10:01pm
I do leave - eventually - if it looks like we will take a direct hit or if it looks like things will get bad. We don't have the levee problem that New Orleans had or the island problem that Galveston had - so our situation isn't quite as dire. Knowing that you are below sea level - as New Orleans is - or on an island as Galveston is - you really should leave. I remember once, when we were vacationing in NC and a hurricane was coming I didn't leave - my then husband thought I was nuts. At the time we lived near Baltimore and I reasoned that we had plenty of time - they would eventually come down the street with bull horns calling everyone to leave if it looked like a direct hit - but to evacuate we would have to go nearly all the way home for a hotel room. Anyway, we stayed, the hurricane went out to sea, and we had the beach nearly to ourselves and not even much rain. It was simply gorgeous! When I was in college, I dropped out and lived the beach and had to leave because of a hurricane, I waited until the last evacuation, had no traffic issues, and after the hurricane the house was demolished so I went back to college. But, you really have lots of time to make a decision usually.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2009
Mon, 08-31-2009 - 10:16pm

:-)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Tue, 09-01-2009 - 9:04am
Californian fires: Your stories and images

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8230005.stm


Memorial service planned for fallen firefighters :(

 


Photobucket&nbs

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Tue, 09-01-2009 - 12:44pm

ITA.


Community Leader
Registered: 04-05-2002
Tue, 09-01-2009 - 6:47pm

I would always follow an evacuation order but people who live in areas where there are constant evacuations (another issue for me--why live there???) probably get jaded because they evacuate so many times when, in hindsight, there is no need. They recall the many times they've been safe so stay put.

I completely agree about the lunatics who put their own lives on the line and then need to be rescued. It's selfish. When my husband did search and rescues for the Coast Guard, they'd often be called out in situations to save people who weren't supposed to be out there anyway.











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