Burn. Burn. Burn.

Burn

The Saint I am married to and I made the trek into Los Angeles over the weekend to see the documentary Film BURN.

Burn is an independent documentary that examines the Detroit Fire Dept and it's struggle to protect it's citizens from the ravages of fire. Funding for the film was done through donations, private investment and merchandise sales, funding for distribution of it is still underway.

As most people know, Detroit is a city that is struggling to survive. Economic, political and cultural conditions have created a situation where the demand for fire protection has greatly increased while the resources needed for that protection have greatly decreased. Burn explores the impact of the situation, on the city, the firefighters and on the residents.

Though Detroit is by no means the only city going through these struggles, it is probably the largest. As this is basically a film about the almost unbelievable conditions present in Detroit, it spends a great deal of time exploring the human impact on several members of the DFD. From the outsider Fire Commissioner to a young firefighter, the human toll is laid bare for us to see.

Frankly, I expected a little more fire footage - though I understand the message the filmmakers were sending and the need to balance the subject's stories and the fire they fight. Regardless, I enjoyed the movie immensely and recommend that you see it if it comes near your town.  

For a list of upcoming screenings click here. This is a very well done film, it was well worth the ten bucks I paid for my ticket. BTW, the Saint I Am Married To enjoyed it as well.

*****

Burn Burn

I am not a food sissy. I grew up in a barrio and have been eating spicy food (mostly Mexican) for most of my life. Though my lovely bride is Irish, she likes to cook on the spicy side of things. Some of her Hispanic friends think that her food is too hot. I think it's perfect.

Therefore, I was somewhat surprised at the heat I found in The Emporium Thai Resaurant. The Emporium is in Westwood, across the street from the venue where we saw Burn. I ordered Pad Thai, a delicious noodle dish. The waiter asked what level of heat we wanted in our meals, I opted for a five on the ten-scale, as did The Saint.

Wow, I probably should have ordered it as a four or maybe a three. If it was any hotter, I would have not been able to eat it. I started to "glow" a little bit as did my wife. Despite my discomfort, I could not stop eating it, it was so delightful.

I had eaten Thai food before and though I enjoyed it, I don't typically seek it out. After this delicious experience, we are going to explore some of the local Thai restaurants. Rest assured I am going to be a bit more conservative in ordering the level of heat in it.

If you ever get to L.A. and are jonesing for Thai food, The Emporium would be a great choice.

*****

Burn Burn Burn

When we walked out of the Crest Theater after seeing the movie Burn, I looked to the North and saw a tremendous header looming up from behind the San Gabriel mountains. The column of smoke was ice-capping and it caught me by surprise. I knew that the Powerhouse Fire was burning near Santa Clarita (about 35 miles from where we were), but I didn't know how intensely.

Ice-capping is the phenomenon that occurs when the convective column from a wildfire breaks through the inversion layer and gains enough altitude to allow the moisture within the column to freeze. It kind of resembles the top of a thunderhead.

When you see it occurring, you know that extreme burning is present. You also have to be aware that when the column collapses, it will produce erratic downdrafts and winds as it collapses.

Regardless, when it's occurring, the fire is kicking ass. If I remember correctly, the Powerhouse fire went from  around 2500 acres to over five thousand on Saturday. It has been cranking ever since and is reported to be up to 30,000 acres as of this morning. IT'S ONLY JUNE!

Burn - See it.

Thanks for reading,

Schmoe