Letters to The Sun: Hopefully, we all learn from Los Angeles fire disaster

The wildfires in L.A., and elsewhere in Southern California, are likely to become the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. We should generously help our neighbours in this time of tragedy as we will need help in the future when one of our large cities burns.
We should also learn from the fire regarding zoning, development decisions and infrastructure serving the wildland-urban interfaces surrounding many Canadian cities. It is only a matter of time until a metropolitan area is hit by a firestorm.
One lesson, apparent in a National Geographic article, are municipal water systems. Fire suppression depends on an abundant supply of water. Firebombers are hazardous to operate as Santa Ana winds gusted up to 160 km/h. Strong winds also minimize the effectiveness of water drops. Los Angles municipal water systems are not up to the task of fighting a city-wide conflagration. The system lacked the capacity to meet the unprecedented demand, so water pressure started falling.
Another lesson of the fire is the challenge of evacuating hundreds of thousands of people on minimal notice. Roads near evacuation zones gridlocked with fleeing residents. The city has many narrow winding roads servicing hillside subdivisions, creating bottlenecks to the chaotic evacuation of thousands of households on short notice. Bulldozers had to push aside abandoned SUVs so firefighters could drive to the fires. Many communities in B.C. have thousands of people living in large hillside subdivisions serviced by a limited number of narrow, windy roads, not unlike Los Angles. West Vancouver comes immediately to mind.
Hopefully, our municipalities and senior levels of government learn from the current unfolding disaster and take prudent steps to mitigate future possible disasters in Canadian cities.
John Shepherd, Richmond
Do HOV Lanes have an unrestricted speed limit?
Countless times, driving in an HOV lane, we are tailgated, passed, cut off, sneered at or given “the finger” for driving just slightly above the posted speed on highways. It is like we are standing still. What gives? Is there an unrestricted speed limit that we are not aware of? If so, please tell us.
Even with the best of intentions, HOV lanes have become unlimited expressways for their users. We are aware law enforcement does what it can but, unfortunately, with limited resources due to other crimes, the officers needed are almost non-existent.
My husband drives for a living and knows that going well over the speed limit to “accommodate” those behind us is a traffic infraction, and he is not about to jeopardize his livelihood.
Sadly, these lanes will continue to be unrestricted speed limit zones until enforcement is given the resources they need.
Valerie Fortin, Burnaby
Whitecaps should take kick at being a co-op team
The Whitecaps should be turned into a co-op.?100,000 shares at $5,000 a share will get the owners the roughly $500 million value of the team. We need a big bank to lead this, offering up $5,000 low-interest loans to individuals who are interested, but short on cash. Co-op football teams are happening in the U.K. now to stop teams being bought and moved.
Come on, big banks, save our team. You will get paid back, lots of good publicity, and it is safe. All sports team seem to go up in value.
Blair Pringle, North Vancouver
Do the?Whitecaps owners really care about the team and Vancouver, or do they just see dollar signs??Have they or anyone given any thought to community ownership? There have to be at least 100,000 people in B.C. who would pony up $5,000 to buy a share? I am not a big soccer fan and I would buy a share just to keep the team here. Surely someone with deep pockets could get this rolling.
Glenn Rickard,?Coquitlam?
The most vulnerable deserve more care
Why is the care of people with severe disabilities left to non-profit agencies? We have government agencies for health, housing, education, financial institution regulation and income security. Yet people with disabilities must rely on non-profit agencies. Our most vulnerable citizens deserve more.
Annette Murray, Vancouver
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