Last summer the devastating fires in California combined with severe fuel shortages and nationwide rationing of electricity had caused unprecedented restrictions. Of course, the inability of utilities to deliver water, or electricity, or other services where needed made everything far worse. Los Angeles County had outgrown its gridlock simply because there weren?t that many cars on the freeways anymore. Outrageous fuel costs already had everyone trying to stay home when the most severe brownouts started. Recreation was the first to suffer as theme parks and all entertainment endeavors like movie theaters were severely curtailed. All entertainment and even common social gatherings suffered.
Misinformation, stupidity, greed and self-preservation were overtaking the masses. Worse, there simply wasn?t enough water or water pressure to help fight and suppress the fires; and flames spread throughout hundreds of subdivisions and towns. Fire hoses ran dry and trucks ran out of gas. Refugees wandered the roads by the tens of thousands. Charitable operations had been overwhelmed and overrun. The supply of emergency food was devoured in a matter of weeks. The problem of several hundred thousand homeless was turning the main population centers like Los Angeles and San Francisco into burning, writhing ghettos with wailing and shouting, looting and shooting, and hiding and hoarding.