Speculation Regarding The Fire

It pains me, as a liberal, when fellow liberals get so caught up in the cycle of Washington scandal and recrimination that they are caught flat-footed when genuine threats emerge. That happened during 9/11, when some liberals mumbled tired cliches about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in response to the stark new domestic challenge posed by Al Qaeda. Denial and inertia among liberals gave the initiative to the neoconservatives. At least the neocons had a plan - invade Iraq. It was a stupid plan, but in an emergency, stupid plan wins out over no plan at all.

This Sacramento railroad trestle fire has me worried. Liberals need a plan. I suspect a form of domestic terrorism - whether for money, a grudge, or for ideology is unclear. Even accounting for the flammability of the creosote-soaked timbers, it is very odd that the fire spread so quickly along the length of the 600 foot trestle. Usually, it is very hard to get fires to spread out in a linear fashion, unless there were multiple ignition points. Initial speculation among the people at the scene suggested the same mindset:

Sacramento Metro Fire spokesman Christian Pebbles said the fire spread rapidly, stretching across the length of a football field within minutes. Fire officials said they have not determined how the fire started, but the creosote-soaked trestle fueled intense black smoke that could be seen from more than 50 miles away.

Coal tar creosote is a thick, oily liquid commonly used to preserve the peeled logs used to stabilize railroad trestles.

The fire brought rush-hour traffic to a halt on the Capital City Freeway bordering the state fairgrounds as commuters stopped to look at the blaze. Some even got out of their cars and began walking towards the flames, forcing officials to use megaphones to warn spectators away.

Portions of the structure began collapsing after 7 p.m. Doucette said nearly 100 area firefighters would continue to battle the fire throughout the night and hot spots could continue to burn over the next several days.

According to sources close to the investigation, the speed of the fire's spread had authorities looking into the possibility that an accelerant was involved in the blaze.

The heat and scope of the fire left even veteran firefighters in awe. "If this would've been a hot summer day, we would've had firefighters in the hospital right now," Doucette said.

Late last night, I thought I would play Paul Revere and head over to Eschaton to sound the alarm. The few people on-line were utterly dismissive of my concerns. In a way, it's hard to blame them, since the misdeeds of the Bush Administration are so many, and have yielded political dividends so great, that it's hard to get diverted. Bad news is always unwelcome. But bad news is good news for opportunists like the Bush Administration, so we must be ready. Here is a portion of that Eschaton dialogue:

Is the railroad trestle fire in Sacramento an act of terrorism? If so, by whom?
Marc Valdez Homepage 03.16.07 - 1:54 am #
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Your Mama.
Rumpleforeskin 03.16.07 - 2:01 am #

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Yo mama?
Rumpleforeskin 03.16.07 - 2:04 am #

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'Rumpleforeskin', and others: I'm not posing the question as a joke. The railroad trestle fire in Sacramento may be the kind of terrorism against soft infrastructure targets that the Homeland Security folks have worried about for a long time, and especially since 9/11. So, it's time to get off our soft, complacent asses and at least consider the possibility. Because I'm sure the Bush Administration is already thinking about it. Much will depend on what the investigators discover about the fire's cause once they get the fire put out.
Marc Valdez Homepage 03.16.07 - 2:30 am #

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Using it to deflect attention on nailing Turdblossoms ass.
Rumpleforeskin 03.16.07 - 2:34 am #

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Read up on old railroads, trestles used to burn all the time, and it wasn't Indians / Native Americans doing it.

Good lord, trying to blame this on terrorism.

I'll blame the terriests for making my streets slick, so people keep slaming into my tree at the corner.

Barry from Alaska Homepage 03.16.07 - 2:34 am #

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They're drooling over a potential distraction.

It ain't enough.
Steve French 03.16.07 - 2:36 am #

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It's not the terrorists, its the trestle-ists.
spinoz-a-peeps Homepage 03.16.07 - 2:44 am #

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Barry From Alaska: I'm not blaming the fire on terrorists...yet. It's quite odd that something like this happened, and what I'm saying is be prepared, because it will be a natural magnet for Republican politicians if foul play is discovered.
Marc Valdez Homepage 03.16.07 - 2:50 am #

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Well hell, doesn't the parrot act define any crime as terrism?

Barry from Alaska Homepage 03.16.07 - 2:53 am #

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Get the fuck out of here, concern troll.
Rumpleforeskin 03.16.07 - 2:56 am #

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More liberal than you are, Rumpleforeskin!
Marc Valdez Homepage 03.16.07 - 2:57 am #

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foul play

dancing chickens?
.
Tacitus Voltaire 03.16.07 - 2:58 am #

Sigh! Complacent as a Sunday afternoon! Well, we'll see!