Life Surrounded by Mountains in Central Chile

So. you are not evacuating for now? Stay safe. Your reports of multiple acts of arson is most alarming. Is this considered a normal activity in the region? What could be the real motivation behind these acts?

Is there motivation for setting the fires other than stupidity? Do they sell fire insurance? Stay safe.

Is this a new development? The jet looks larger than the previous news item's photo.

http://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/chile/2017/01/24/gobierno-acepta-ofrecimiento-de-avion-supertank-para-combatir-incendios-forestales.shtml

Fingers crossed that more firebird idiots are not out there. Stay safe and be alert to your evacuation route.

Copihue said:

....
You probably heard it first in MOL, no one else cares about what happens outside their back yard.

It was reported on Democratic Underground website.

We've had five fires in nine days. Town firemen brought the fire under control last night, and second is being brought under control by specialized personnel from the Forestry Department. The first was started by crossed power lines; the second originated from a town at least 11 miles away, and the last three were deliberately set, because there was no evidence of lighting, crossed power lines or sparks which could have sparked flames.

The fires throughout the country have been started by men. In the south of Chile, where the situation is at its worst, it appears to be political. The first nation folks want Chile to burn, but so far I have not read of any evidence to support the theory, but it is possible. People from the area believe it.

It's sickening.

A friend sent me this link: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/01/23/world/americas/ap-lt-chile-wildfires-.html?_r=1 It says the cause is the heat wave, but that is not the only reason, most Chileans believe. She also sent me this: http://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/massive-wildfires-cause-greatest-forest-disaster-in-chiles-history/ar-AAm9V40. FEMA advisors are coming to help, it's appreciated.

dave said:

Is this a new development? The jet looks larger than the previous news item's photo.

http://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/chile/2017/01/24/gobierno-acepta-ofrecimiento-de-avion-supertank-para-combatir-incendios-forestales.shtml

Believe it or not, that is a Boeing 747-400 contracted by a woman who posted a message on Facebook asking for funds to help control the fire. All private funds. It is the largest of its kind, and the entire country is waiting for it to being working. The fire has overwhelmed all current, available resources in Chile.

And yes, they sell fire and earthquake insurance in Chile. I bought mine last Monday, I bought this house in early November, and I had an offer from my bank for insurance without an inspection. Folks in this Reserve who pay for their home in cash have a very difficult time getting insurance, because the fire dept is 11 km away from the main entrance, and homes can be three miles from the gate, therefore, precluding them from getting insurance.

I have been attending all the fire prevention meetings, and a week from this past Saturday they had an insurance agent who informed us how to get insurance; when I learned how difficult it was and with the first fire on Monday, I quickly cashed in on my option. I was lucky. This Reserve is in the middle of a fire danger zone.

Last night's fire is not under control, amd it is coming in our direction once again. The winds are not helping, and we are watching to determine when to evacuate once again. This is the worst threat thus far. I am going home now to pack my car and dress for a potential fire. It feels like a broken record.

Last night the temp dropped as did the winds, so the flames were smoldering this morn. Conaf firefighters are here with helicopters, and they are extinguishing all remains.

Other towns were not so lucky. The town of Santa Olga was completely burned overnight, 1000 homes, and 10 persons have died.

Two friends and I walked to the rim of a local mountain to do some reconnaissance, and it looks clear. I hope that my experience is over, I am exhausted, and I hope that others also reach the conclusion of their ordeal.

I don't know if this is appropriate, but the guy who photographs and does Humans of NY will be going to South American for the month of February. He is looking for interpreters. He will be going to Argentina, then Chile.

Glad your luck is holding out. Hope this continues. Rest while you can.

dave said:

Is there motivation for setting the fires other than stupidity? Do they sell fire insurance? Stay safe.

The Chilean press, television and radio are full of stories about suspected arsonists, and President Bachelet mentioned it as the root of the problem when she addressed the nation. They have found 5-6 suspicious individuals with accelerants; but convictions are very rare; it is difficult finding proof.

The First Nation folks are very militant in Chile. They want their lands in Chile and Argentina returned to them, and according to press reports, they released a statement last month "to make Chile burn". It is postulated that it is a coordinated effort by Mapuches, but there is no proof.

Firemen say that 3 of the 5 fires near my home are the work of arsonists, because there is no evidence of any other plausible reason for the fire. Yesterday I spoke to a woman who saw a fire start at 2 am on Tuesday near here home, but she says that she is not sure who started it, and she did not call firemen to alert them, because she thought firemen had the fire under control. Her story makes no sense. These are small communities; they all know each other; many are related to one another, and I believe that they are protecting the arsonists. They rather see the forest burn, the livestock die, people loose their jobs than to snitch.

I found a number of news articles about the fires when I googled just now - ABC, Reuters, The Guardian. But no mention at all of arson.

I am not surprised, because the US press is very careful not to publish unsubstanciated accounts. Here is one from today's papers: http://www.latercera.com/noticia/seis-personas-fueron-detenidas-sospechosas-provocar-incendios/ and President Bachilet: https://www.publimetro.cl/cl/nacional/2017/01/24/presidenta-bachelet-pumanque-incendios-forestales-no-descartar-afirmar-haya-intencionalidad.html TV coverage: http://www.24horas.cl/nacional/ It's all suspicion, but I think that it is well-founded at least where I live.

Today marks the 12th day since we had our first fire, and just now we are getting significant help. In the news they stated that we are getting firefighters and firefighting equipment from over two dozen countries from Asia, Europe, North and South America. I am exhausted; it feels like a bad case of jet lag, must be the lack of sleep. Today I left my home to go into the city for an appointment with my attorney, and at midday I got a call of a new fire; I simply continued with what I had scheduled to do, though I cut some chores; I needed time away from the fire. The Reserve has a helicopter on stand by, so in an hour they had extinguished the fire. They found bottles in the fire zone, presumably with accelerants. I pickred up my dogs, who I missed, from where I left them for safe keeping. We were all happy to be reunited.

The fires in the Reserve lasted 13 days, until developer and nearby land owners banded and hired security guards to prevent any other fires from being started. A group of men were caught on the first day, and it is not known whether they were stealing or starting fires, but they were caught where they didn't belong, and the fires stopped. There has been much discussion about the origin of the fires on television, and experts say that there is no reason for a fire to start in Chile other than arson or negligence. Once it starts the heat, the dryness of the vegetation, and other factors get the flames to propagate. Firefighters get a day off after being in the field for four days, we went thirteen days without a break, and it took a toll on my body. Everything ached, but slowly I am getting better.

It has been hot here. All of January the temperature never went below 95 degrees, and I am told that the temperature drops considerably in winter. Supposedly this makes for very tasty fruit. I don't know if that is true, but the fruit is very tasty.

Yesterday I was looking for my dogs when a man responded from the street in English: "it's here with me." I got Bones, locked him in the house, and I jumped into the car to do some errands. While driving I found the man hitchhiking, which is very unusual as this is a private reserve. He is the young owner of the coffee shop in the center of town. He had a book with him, and I asked what he was reading; a book about Chilean wines. He said in English: "It is an interesting fact that the Aconcagua Valley produces the best wines of Chile." This is where we live, and we are surrounded by vineyards. He went on "Seña is a bordeaux which in 2017 earned a perfect rating of 100". I asked how he knew that, because the book he was reading gives it a rating of 97. "The administrators come to my coffee shop, and we are organizing wine tours; the book is a guide of 2016 wines." He showed me the location of vineyard which I drive through practically every day, and it is impeccable. "The grapes are grown organically and dynamically. Chickens eat the insects and cows the weeds; the ecosystem is constantly monitored and managed to stay in balance without any chemicals." I asked who gave them the rating, and he said European critics. I asked what it sells for, and he said that he could get it for me directly from the administrators at US$156 the bottle. Unlike most of the vineyards in Chile which are huge, this is very small. You can take a tour bus to visit the vineyards in the Central Valley, but they won't take you to this one.

When I moved here I thought I would need to shop in Santiago for food, but I was wrong. There is a cheese maker who makes out of this world cheeses. There is a slaughter house where I can get the best beef I have eaten thus far in Chile, and the vegetables and fruits are fresh picked from the fields. It simply doesn't get any better.

Wait - $156.00 a bottle for a local wine? Must be a typo.

I ran a google search, http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/sena+aconcagua+valley+chile/2014, and in Scarsdale the 2014 vintage is selling for US$135 a bottle. If the rating of the 2017 vintage went to 100, as the administrators claim, then they could easily sell it for CLP$100,000 or US$156 per bottle at the vineyard. The book Brian was reading said that the 2016 vintage was selling for CLP$150,000 in Chile; the exchange rate is 1/637.65 today, so that the bottle is US$235 according to the book. In Santiago the wine which does not list the vintage year lists for CLP$126,530 or US$198.43 http://larbos.cl/es/vinos/782-vino-errazuriz-sena-reserva-750-cc.html. Aren't you curious about what it tastes like? I am.

Wow! Too rich for my blood.
But, yes, I am a little curious about the taste.

Sena is a Bordeaux-style blend that I've heard is quite good. Never had it so can't speak from experience, but the price wouldn't shock me given the rep. In that area you'll find Carmenere (also part of Sena's blend), which won't sink the bank (not always anyway) and is a grape well worth trying.

I love Carmenere; it's my favorite red. Thanks for bringing it up. It is very smooth.

Not as tannic as Cab, but there's smoke and spice there in the darkness. Great to have so close by. Sadly most here are meh.

Rain storm in the Andes: http://www.latercera.com/noticia/impactante-video-del-aluvion-los-andes/

I have mentioned several times that I live in an ecological reserve that is adjacent to a national park and altogether we have 10,500 hectares which is the equivalent of 26 thousand acres. Naturally there are many birds in the ecosystem, and because I walk my dogs twice a day through the streets of the Reserve I have been finding many, many dead raptors. These are gorgeous eagles, owls as well as other species under electrical posts. I am told that when the bird opens its wings on top of a post, it often touches both sides of the wires, and they are electrocuted. This is a worldwide problem, and there are solutions. The utility company, Chilquinta Energia S.A. which is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, has to install loops over the post wires which are covered with a material which will not conduct electricity. There are a lot of these unmodified posts in the Reserve, so I am running a petition asking them to continue and finish the job they started. I am asking my animal and environmentally conscious friends in Maplewood and elsewhere that you please sign the petition and share it. Thank you.

https://www.change.org/p/proteccion-para-la-avefauna-de-los-postes-electricos-de-chilquinta-protect-raptors-from-deadly-electricity-posts

Jamie/Dave, why is the embedded petition posting twice? when I try to remove it, I only see the instructions once.

Is the petition available in English for those of us who do not read Spanish and would liek to understand the full wording of the petition prior to signing?

Each paragraph of the petition in Spanish is followed by the English translation.

I posted in Facebook, stealing your explanation to introduce it.  Hope it gets the attention of the electric company and they do the right thing.

Copihue said:

Jamie/Dave, why is the embedded petition posting twice? when I try to remove it, I only see the instructions once.

Hmm, may be an issue with embedding images from another site - I saw what you embedded in the post - but lost it completely when I tried to save it. We have an update to the editor shortly - I'll let you know and we can try it again. Posting a link to it may be best for now.