Sand fire: In praise of the firefighters working in extreme heat

To the editor: I really don’t know how our firefighters manage to battle these flames in triple-digit temperatures, especially considering that they wear at least 45 pounds of gear. They sacrifice such a great deal for us. I don’t have enough words to express the gratitude and admiration that I feel toward these men and women. (“Fire seasons are becoming hotter, drier and longer,” July 24)

Consider as well the additional staff and volunteers fielding phone calls, the logistics involved for the evacuation of residents and animals and, let’s not forget, the setup and management of evacuation centers. They do all this and more while trying to keep residents calm during this firestorm.

Where would we be without these incredible men and women?

Am I guilty of putting them up on a pedestal? You bet. They deserve it.

Candace Royden, Valley Village

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To the editor: I thank The Times for rejecting the false equivalency of giving climate change deniers an equal platform with science-based realists.

No thinking person in Southern California can deny the evidence before them — drought, soaring temperatures and terrible fires — that climate change is real and happening now before our eyes.

I can only urge every voter this November: Please vote for politicians at every level who will address climate change with the urgency it demands.

Ann Rushton, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: Anyone who worries that it will be costly to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy needs to read your article detailing the costs of firefighting when the fire season in the American West, according to the National Fire Service, is now 78 days longer than it was in 1970. Funds are desperately needed in other programs, yet we have no choice but to prioritize this scourge.

Wait, we do have a choice: We can put a fee on fossil fuels and distribute the money from the fees to American households.

Within 10 years, according to a 2014 study by Regional Economic Models Inc., this plan will make renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuels. Within 20 years, it will lower U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to 52% below 1990 levels. As we reduce heat-trapping gases, we control warming, unprecedented drought and, eventually, wildfires. The dividend from the fees will protect consumers from price fluctuation while the transition takes place.

When one considers how much of our money now goes to fighting fires, it seems like a good deal.

Sharon Markenson, Woodland Hills

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