| Los Angeles firefighters are working day and night to contain a
fires at Griffith Park which spanned for over eight hundred acres of
land. This recent fire started Tuesday and is still advancing to new
areas, while all measures are taken to stop its spreading. Griffith
Park put at risk many adjustment homes, which were promptly evacuated.
The Los Angeles zoo which is located nearby decided to move all their
animals indoors for protection. But most at risk is Griffith
Observatory which is located in the heart of the park and surrounded
by the blazed areas. Local magazines printed the photos of the
observatory illuminated by the flames.
While the exact cause of fires is still under investigation,
the temperatures this week rose to record high singe 1984 and hot dry
climate of the area made the park a favorable spot for the start of
combustion. Parks are not the only place in LA where fires start their
deadly dance. Last month it was Burbank, located close to Warner
Brothers offices which had to be evacuated.
Firefighters in Los Angeles are especially trained to stop a blaze
quickly enough and prevent it from spreading. The first step is to contain
the blaze on the frontier and douse it. This often involves cutting
the trees and cleaning the area of dry wood, thus leaving the
approaching fire no "food". The next step is usually done by
helicopters which spray extinguishing liquid on the area from the air.
The first chemical method of obtaining the fire was catalysis, which was opened by a German chemist Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner. On the basis of his invention he created, besides suffering from insufficiency, “hydrogenous stone”. Although it was improved by a Holland scientist Kipp, it was replaced very quickly by the safety matches. Later were developed first petrol lighters and then gas lighters.
Significance in the mythology and esoteric
Fire has big importance in the mythology. In the Greek and Roman mythology some Gods (Hephaestus, Prometheus, Vesta, Hestia and others), in the ancient Indian mythology incarnation of fire was Agni, in the Celtic mythology the goddess of fire was called as Brigit, were identified with Fire. In the Zoroastrianism fire acts as especially precious element incarnated in Gods justice, Arti. For the people in the North fire was denoted in the form of female – “mother”, “mistress of the hearth” and so on, and for the Yakuts and Buryats in the for of a male as “master”. In the Medieval mysticism Salamanders were the undermost souls of the fire, living in them.
Along with the water, earth and air, fire is treated as one of the four elements (fore elements) and in connection with this occupied a significant role especially in the ancient philosophy, for example with Heraclite, and also Hermetic. In the western astrology the element fire is related to the zodiac signs of Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, its dominants – The Sun and The Pluto. In the Chinese astrology fire – One of the five elements related to the planet Mars, South, summer (6th April -17th June according to The Gregorian calendar), red light, bitter in taste and sharp, burning smell, with the number 7, earthy “branches” snake (“Si”) and horse (“u”), 3rd and 4th celestial “trunk” (“bin”, “din”) including the matching with years, ending with 6 and 7.
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Big story this week - wild fires in LA and a neavy smoke in the city. Which causes millions of dollars in damages to LA businesses.
Smokers don't buy cigarettes any more, and spend more time outside.
