California wildfires seem a bit suspicious

It seems the news headlines over the past few days continue to completely catch me off guard. The latest came Jan. 8 when the first reports came in regarding range fires that directly threatened a number of communities in southern California.

At first, I remained cautiously optimistic these fires would not cause a huge number of problems. After all, Mountain Home and communities across southern Idaho deal with these range fires each summer in what I typically refer to as “Idaho’s fifth season.”

However, the reports quickly showed how fast those fires tore through neighborhoods, forcing people to immediately pack up what they could and evacuate. Meanwhile, other residents remained on continuous alert and kept track of what was happening in case they also needed to evacuate.

Among those people on around-the-clock alert status include my daughter, who moved to Burbank a few months ago to remain with her future husband’s family. Once the fire started getting closer to that city to the point where she could spot the smoke from the home where she currently lives, my wife and I immediately made it a point to stay in touch with our daughter every couple of hours while encouraging her to load up a car with emergency supplies just in case the fire threatened their city.

I’m sure this story is similar to the ones other families in southern California did with regards to loved ones who faced the potential threat of these fires coming their way. For now, I remain cautiously optimistic that they will remain safe.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for the 24 people who died as a result of the Palisades and Eaton fires by the evening of Jan. 12. Many of those who lost their lives were elderly residents who lost their lives as a result of smoke inhalation as well as burns they sustained.

However, I need to emphasize the fact we have countless others out there who sustained various injuries as a result of the smoke and heat. That’s in addition to the nearly 180,000 residents who remained under orders to evacuate from the Los Angeles area.

In looking over all the news coverage last week, there was one thing that really seemed to irritate me. It involved the number of stories published by the national news media and social media sites regarding all of the rich celebrities who lost their luxury homes as a result of these fires.

Granted, I do appreciate the fact that so many people took time to extend their thoughts and kind words to these celebrities, there was something the news media seemed to overlook. It seemed none of these reporters took time to speak to the others in these communities – the non-celebrities – who also lost their homes and loved ones due to these fires.

Instead, these news networks seemed obsessed with talking to the celebrities who clearly have enough money to cover the costs to build new homes. If they wanted, these same people could simply move to one of their other luxury homes and mansions they own in other parts of California or other communities across the United States.

I’m not sure the same will apply to those California residents who struggle financially to afford to live in this state, especially those who may face the added stress of running through various hurdles with their insurance agents to cover the costs to rebuild their own homes they lost as a result of these fires.

Part of me wonders how many of these families will gain the support they need from their insurance companies. Reports released last week indicated these companies may face the possibility of paying an estimated $115 billion to help their clients rebuild their homes.

I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight how one of California’s biggest insurance companies cancelled fire coverage for thousands of homeowners following the Pacific Palisades range fire last summer. Reports indicated the company sought to avoid the “financial failure” if they paid out the money they promised, in writing, to provide these clients.

Maybe I’m overreacting, but my gut keeps telling me this could happen simply again because it would cost too much money for these insurance agents to help those who need this help the most. Meanwhile, all of these rich elitists don’t need to worry since they clearly have more than enough money to afford to build a new home if their insurance agent refuses to help them.

I can only imagine what would happen to these insurance companies if all of these clients filed a massive lawsuit against them. It’s likely they could face karma that would force these companies to go bankrupt and shut down.

Another aspect of these fires that keeps me equally worried involves the timing of when these fires “suddenly” happened. Just a week prior, we received reports of a man who launched a terrorist-type attack in New Orleans which was then followed by a similar attack in which an Army veteran took his own life as he blew up his truck that was parked next to a hotel in Las Vegas that’s owned by President Donald Trump.

In Idaho, meanwhile, we continue to focus attention on a man who got arrested in Payette County after he allegedly planted an improvised explosive device, or IED, in a railcar that remained parked in the Treasure Valley. That’s in addition to the stepped up security measures those stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base and other military installations took in response to these alleged terrorist incidents.

I would be remiss if I didn’t include the fact that Trump faced separate threats in which a 20-year-old college student wounded who was then the presidential candidate back last July. Two months later, agents with the U.S. Secret Service arrested another man in connection with a separate assassination attempt targeting Trump.

While I’d like to think there were no direct connections between the terrorist-type incidents earlier this month, the fact these wildfires “suddenly” started just a few days afterward keeps me worried about what might happen next. What has me equally concerned involves the timing of these attacks, all of which happened just days before he was due to resume his duties as the nation’s president.

I just hope what this nation has dealt with so far these past few months were isolated incidents that lacked any direct ties to various terrorist organizations in the Middle East. If not, I get the feeling this nation will once again take action to deal with these terrorists, especially since we frequently receive reports that some of these people illegally entered our nation by stepping across the nation’s borders with Mexico and Canada.

For now, I plan to continue keeping my eyes open to see what other incidents communities across this nation could possibly face over the next four years. If things continue the way they have, then I think it’s time the nation puts a stop to it once and for all by taking action to eliminate those who pose these threats once and for all.

– Brian S. Orban