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La California devastata dal fuoco (per alcuni non è poi così male)
La voglia sarebbe di dire: Guardate qui. Si digita California on fire ed ecco cosa appare: un unico rogo di enormi dimensioni. La Nasa invia immagini satellitari del fumo che sale dal confine tra la California e l’Oregon. Sei giorni fa il NYTimes annunciava che numerose unità erano state inviate a fronteggiare 21 focolai d’incendio. Due giorni dopo, cioè quattro giorni fa, il fuoco - complice la siccità - era diventato una specie di virus in grado di tener testa a tutte le tattiche messe in atto per spegnerlo. La versione selvaggia del newyorkese Fuoco Assassino, film dal cast stellare (la trama un po’ meno).
Ci hanno provato anche coi droni, ma i numeri sono comunque spaventosi: sembra davvero che non si riesca a venirne a capo. Garden4us.com ha messo insieme tutte le mappe degli incendi. Il governo californiano tiene aggiornato l’elenco dei focolai e informa dei successi e delle sconfitte come fossero sbarcati a Okinawa. Cliccando su alcuni link - ad esempio su quello di Six Rivers National Forest, a pagina 2 - si trovano video che permettono di ascoltare il ruggito del fuoco dei giorni scorsi.
In italiano “la California va a fuoco” (senza virgolette) mette una in fila all’altra le variazioni dei titoli: la California brucia, California in fiamme, il fuoco divora la California: insomma, sta bruciando tutto. In spagnolo i risultati di “california, incendios, fuego” (senza virgolette) fanno pensare che anche Zorro e il sergente Garcia stiano passando un brutto momento.
A wall of flames lurches over a ridge as a resident of Morgan Valley Road near Lower Lake, Calif., prepares to evacuate because of the Rock Fire, Wednesday evening July 29, 2015. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Firefighters spray a hose at a fire along Morgan Valley Road near Lower Lake, Calif., Friday, July 31, 2015. A series of wildfires were intensified by dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and gusting winds. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
AP10ThingsToSee-CalFire firefighter Bo Santiago lights a backfire as the Rocky fire burns near Clearlake, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2015. The fire has charred more than 60,000 acres and destroyed at least 24 residences. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson)
A fire burns on a ridge under the moon, Thursday, July 30, 2015, along Morgan Valley Road near Lower Lake, Calif. The California National Guard is sending in a fleet of helicopters to backup firefighters battling flames raging across the northern half of the state. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
In this Thursday, July 30, 2015, photo, fire blazes as smoke tints the view of the moon rising over the Rocky Fire near Lower Lake, Calif. Several new blazes flared up Thursday, forcing hundreds of people from their homes. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP)
CalFire firefighter Bo Santiago lights a backfire as the Rocky Fire burns near Clearlake, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2015. The fire has charred more than 60,000 acres and destroyed at least 24 residences. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson)
Fire approaches a home near Lower Lake, Calif., Friday, July 31, 2015. A series of wildfires were intensified by dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and gusting winds. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
A firefighter lights a backfire as the Rocky Fire burns near Clearlake, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2015. The fire has charred more than 60,000 acres and destroyed at least 24 residences. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson)
Southern California-based fire photographer Stuart Palley documents a fire as it burns on a ridge along Morgan Valley Road, Thursday, July 30, 2015, near Lower Lake, Calif. The California National Guard is sending in a fleet of helicopters to backup firefighters battling flames raging across the northern half of the state. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
In this Aug. 3, 2015, photo, firefighters work to contain a brush fire near the South Jetty at Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Ore. Numerous other wildfires in California, Washington state and Oregon took off as the effects of drought and summer heat turned the West Coast combustible. (Joshua Bessex/Daily Astorian via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Flames consume the landscape at the Rocky Fire, Wednesday July 29, 2015, near Lower Lake, Calif. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Cal Fire crews from Napa's Greenwood Ranch Station monitor a fire, Thursday, July 30, 2015, near Lower Lake, Calif. The California National Guard is sending in a fleet of helicopters to backup firefighters battling flames raging across the northern half of the state. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Titoli come “Arrestan a una mujer sospechosa de desatar incendios en California” (Arrestata una donna sospettata di appiccare incendi) rimandano - forse per via della lingua - a tempi in cui dalle nostre parti dei poveretti venivano accusati di diffondere la peste ungendo le porte delle case. Segno che le menti dei cittadini si stanno surriscaldando anche loro. Perfino il Los Angeles Times dà notizia dell’arresto di un sospetto piromane, tale James Wilson, di 29 anni, che si sarebbe allenato appiccando piccoli incendi ai lati delle statali nell’aprile scorso. In fondo all’articolo la fotina della mujer di cui abbiamo riferito sopra rimanda al servizio su di lei in inglese. Ha un’espressione devastata, la poveretta.
Certo, è una tragedia. Come tale obbligata a generare il suo corrispondente comico, senza il quale il dramma non esiste. Eppure noi pensiamo che non tutti gli americani siano turbati da quel che sta succedendo. Alcuni di loro - ne parla Don DeLillo in almeno un’occasione - non vedono tanto di buon occhio la California e la sua sbandierata way of life. Resta indigesta a tanti abitanti della pianure centrali - dicono - tutta quella giovinezza muscolosa e dalla dentatura perfetta, sempre in acqua a fare il surf o a farsi salvare dalle bagnine. O sempre pronta a saltare dentro le loro Corvette per poi filar via con una bionda al fianco e lo stereo a palla. Tutti quei riccastri di cui si occupa il Tenente Colombo, non vanno mica bene. Non gli può andare sempre, sempre, bene. La California brucia. Beh, non è poi così grave, pensano in molti.
Cal Fire engineer Johnny Miller stands in front of a fire off of Morgan Valley Road near Lower Lake, Calif., Friday, July 31, 2015. The golden hills of California were being blackened Friday by a series of wildfires egged on by bone-dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and gusting winds. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
A vehicle burned in the Rocky Fire is shown near Lower Lake, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015. Firefighters made some progress Tuesday afternoon with some help from light rain that fell in the area. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
A firefighter carries a hose toward a spot fire along Morgan Valley Road near Lower Lake, Calif., Friday, July 31, 2015. The golden hills of California were being blackened Friday by a series of wildfires egged on by bone-dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and gusting winds. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Long Beach, Calif., firefighter Darren Ike keeps watch on an unburned hillside near a fire in Lake County, Calif., Monday, Aug. 3, 2015. Firefighters were working aggressively to regain control after a raging California fire jumped a highway that had served as a containment line for the massive blaze, which is one of 20 wildfires burning in California. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
As firefighters battle to save her mobile home, Kim Korth, right, co-owner of Korth's Pirate's Lair Marina, is comforted by her friend, Tracy Holcombe, Thursday, July 30, 2015, in Isleton,Calif. Fire crews from multiple agencies battled the fire that destroyed multiple homes and damaged several others.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Cal Fire engineer Johnny Miller stands below a fire off of Morgan Valley Road near Lower Lake, Calif., Friday, July 31, 2015. The golden hills of California were being blackened Friday by a series of wildfires egged on by bone-dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and gusting winds. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Firefighters Sklyer Fitzgerald, left, and Sean Carrillo, of the River Delta Fire District, put water on a burning mobile home at the Korth's Pirate's Lair Marina in Isleton, Calif., Thursday, July 30, 2015. Fire crews from multiple agencies battled the fire that destroyed multiple mobile homes damages several others. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Fires approach a home near Lower Lake, Calif., Friday, July 31, 2015. A series of wildfires were intensified by dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and gusting winds. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
A home burns from a fire near Lower Lake, Calif., Friday, July 31, 2015. A series of wildfires were intensified by dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and gusting winds. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Cal Fire engineer Johnny Miller stands in front of a fire off of Morgan Valley Road near Lower Lake, Calif., Friday, July 31, 2015. The golden hills of California were being blackened Friday by a series of wildfires egged on by bone-dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and gusting winds. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Fire crews walk on U.S. Highway 20 as a fire approaches near Clearlake, Calif., Monday, Aug. 3, 2015. Cooler weather helped crews build a buffer Monday between a raging Northern California wildfire and some of the thousands of homes it threatened as it tore through drought-withered brush that hadn't burned in years. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)
Goats run from a pen after being released by Cal Fire engineer Johnny Miller at a property off of Morgan Valley Road near Lower Lake, Calif., Friday, July 31, 2015. The golden hills of California were being blackened Friday by a series of wildfires egged on by bone-dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and gusting winds. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
