My evacuated buddy (who’s doing fine, thanks) relayed this to me when she called me this after noon to let me know her and her family’s whereabouts and well being.

As much as I adore Keith Olbermann, he got it wrong, this time. For it’s not the lack of effort by Bush and the feds that’s keeping the SoCal fires burning.

It’s the greedy, lazy cocksuckers at CalFire who are at it, folks:

Congressman Duncan Hunter says there are four Marine helicopters on the ground at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station equipped with buckets that are ready to help fight the San Diego County wildfires. But they are waiting on Cal Fire officials, who say the choppers cannot fly without a Cal Fire crew member called a spotter on board.

And some bloggers and commentators here are verifying this, as well.

Here’s the real reason, as my friend described it, and since it’s something I’ve seen day in and day out in SD during my time there, I can pretty much say that she speaks the truth.

CalFire gets paid for every fire they personally put out. If they didn’t put it out, they don’t get paid. So, while these fires burn, CalFire sits by and brushes off all offers to help until they can get enough of their OWN peeps involved (which isn’t saying much, since most of them are off in LA saving movie stars’ homes). Duncan and several other council men finally put these guys under the gun and insisted that they let the help in.

So, now, the bureaucratic red tape is being pulled, such as that spotter bullshit.

You need a spotter?!?!?!?!! in the middle of the BIGGEST FIRE IN SO CAL HISTORY!!!!

This post is, in no way, designed to demean the thousands of men and women sacrificing their lives in the wake of this massive inferno. But their bosses at CalFire MUST be held accountable for allowing nearly one million people to be displaced, so as they can keep their payday.

Here’s their site. I’d love it if someone could hack it and put some like of image denoting the dicks they’re being for not allowing outside assistance in these fires, using red tape as an excuse. But I’m sure an email just as obscene as their behavior toward the people in Cali would suffice.

OTOH, it’d probably get filtered. Just like their ears to the offers of help.

I may be late on some of these updates, so if someone finds this and wants to comment on what’s currently going on, if the Marine helicopters and more WERE able to make it to the scene of the fires, go for it!