The fire thread, aka, "Light-Speed Lethality - Directed Energy Dominant."

[Raskolnikov]

Rather than begin a new thread focusing solely on the Spokane, Washington fire, it seemed more fitting to start a general fire thread where we can collect evidence of the increasing emergence of this new brand of wildfire. In the Paradise fire of 2018 in California, we first saw images showing white ash footprints of eviscerated homes surrounded by untouched trees while vehicles melted beneath them:





If you’re still sceptical and would like to read more about some of the technical issues concerning directed energy weapons (DEW’s), please visit the Lahaina, Maui thread which extensively analyzed many of those concerns following the fire of 2023:

https://projectavalon.net/forum4/sho...ed-off-the-map

Since the Spokane fire is now actively being called the result of directed energy weapons, I wanted to get this general fire thread started where we can discuss any and all new wildfire activity that may be happening around the world. The Department of War, itself, has come right out and declared their intentions.

God bless us, one and all.

[Raskolnikov]

Here's a video covering some of the strange anomalies exhibited by the Spokane and Washington fires.


Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/gimI5PbEvAOG


And Brush Junkie is back taking a closer look as well.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qJ9CHRMbgs4

[Raskolnikov]

Forest Fire as a Military Weapon.

How an old U.S. military application is murdering today's American citizens.




https://theamericanclassroom.substac...ilitary-weapon

Here's an excellent 2025 article on Substack covering a 175 page government document from 1970 titled, Forest Fire as a Military Weapon. (Link to original document below) Here's the first three paragraphs of the article:

"In 1965, the Joint Chiefs of Staff requested that the Secretary of Defense initiate research to determine the feasibility of measuring the flammability characteristics of forests and jungle growth, modifying flammability so that vegetation would readily support combustion, and developing measures to destroy large areas of forest or jungle growth by fire. This research has been conducted by the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, under sponsorship of the Advanced Research Projects Agency through ARPA Order 818."

The above paragraph is a part of the introductory summary of a 175 page government document from 1970, titled; Forest Fire as a Military Weapon. This document lays out exactly how the military can (and did) use fire to eliminate a target in warfare. The only difference is, this isn’t Vietnam anymore Toto. It’s Los Angeles, California and Lahaina Maui, where our government (both local and national) are utilizing 21st century technology in partnership with private companies, insurance agencies, illegal aliens and old methods, to wipe out Americans and seize their property. It’s another tool in the ‘depopulation toolbox’ that is being used yet again.

Forest Fire as a Military Weapon (from 1970) even highlights Los Angeles, California as a location that has a “long burn season.” Page 123 states the following about Los Angeles, California and other geographic locations in Europe and elsewhere, including Brownsville, Texas and San Diego, California. Austin, Texas is even listed in this document as having a shorter burn season. Perhaps Austin, Texas is next...

Is the US government now using forest fires as a weapon against its own people?



Original Document titled, Vietnam War, Forest Fire as a Military Weapon, A June 1970 Report of study commissioned by the Department of Defense.
https://storage.googleapis.com/produ...taryWeapon.pdf

[Sue (Ayt)]

I'm not sure if Facebook posts can be shared so others can view, but in the early morning hours of Aug 4, the electricity apparently went bonkers in my area. The electric company has denied that there was an actual problem, and announced that nothing was found and fixed. Then they shut off their comments section.

No outages were reported on any outage report pages, but it was quite a large area (entire county + some other areas) and the electric grid went rather bonkers. The people replying to the post below, started on another FB page discuss some very strange reports. It's an interesting discussion to read. This all happened around 3AM. Hearing a lot of "speculating" from friends and neighbors around here.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GXQGJbo5Q/

[Johnnycomelately]

Posted by Sue (Ayt) (here)
I'm not sure if Facebook posts can be shared so others can view, but in the early morning hours of Aug 4, the electricity apparently went bonkers in my area. The electric company has denied that there was an actual problem, and announced that nothing was found and fixed. Then they shut off their comments section.

No outages were reported on any outage report pages, but it was quite a large area (entire county + some other areas) and the electric grid went rather bonkers. The people replying to the post below, started on another FB page discuss some very strange reports. It's an interesting discussion to read. This all happened around 3AM. Hearing a lot of "speculating" from friends and neighbors around here.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GXQGJbo5Q/

Hi Sue. I had to sign in to facebook, but it worked and came up as a tab.

Interesting. Seems it was a recurring irregular undervoltage issue. I think this commenter* got it right, but then why did the utility not see that (brownout), or admit to seeing it.

The other question is, are reports of a hum during lights-outs accurate/true, and if so then what is that about.

Please post any answers if they come up.

* Michael Johnson
2d

It was a brown out, lost one of the 120 service legs or a neutral line, no boogie man, everybody had the same thing, low voltage to the house, not enough power to run everything.

[Raskolnikov]

Posted by Johnnycomelately (here)

Posted by Sue (Ayt) (here)
I'm not sure if Facebook posts can be shared so others can view, but in the early morning hours of Aug 4, the electricity apparently went bonkers in my area. The electric company has denied that there was an actual problem, and announced that nothing was found and fixed. Then they shut off their comments section.

No outages were reported on any outage report pages, but it was quite a large area (entire county + some other areas) and the electric grid went rather bonkers. The people replying to the post below, started on another FB page discuss some very strange reports. It's an interesting discussion to read. This all happened around 3AM. Hearing a lot of "speculating" from friends and neighbors around here.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GXQGJbo5Q/

Hi Sue. I had to sign in to facebook, but it worked and came up as a tab.

Interesting. Seems it was a recurring irregular undervoltage issue. I think this commenter* got it right, but then why did the utility not see that (brownout), or admit to seeing it.

The other question is, are reports of a hum during lights-outs accurate/true, and if so then what is that about.

Please post any answers if they come up.

* Michael Johnson
2d

It was a brown out, lost one of the 120 service legs or a neutral line, no boogie man, everybody had the same thing, low voltage to the house, not enough power to run everything.

Thanks Sue, very intriguing. This response went into great detail about what may have occurred:

Dozerman Meister
Why Utilities Reject the Word "Brownout"The Voluntary vs. Involuntary Distinction: In the utility industry, a true "brownout" is technically defined as a deliberate, intentional reduction of voltage ordered by grid operators (like the Southwest Power Pool or Entergy executives) to prevent a total blackout when the grid is overloaded. If they didn't actively press a button to lower the voltage, they will deny a "brownout" occurred.The "Equipment Anomaly" Loophole: What you actually experienced was likely an unintentional "undervoltage event" or a "partial phase loss". This happens when a localized piece of equipment—such as a failing substation transformer transformer winding, or a degraded neutral ground wire—begins to fail. To the customer, the physical result is identical, but to Entergy, it is classified as an isolated mechanical malfunction, not a systemic brownout.Liability and Damage Claims: Admitting to a "brownout" implies a systemic grid failure or intentional rationing of power, which makes it much easier for consumers to file successful insurance and liability claims for fried HVAC compressors or ruined appliances. Classifying it as a localized "undervoltage anomaly" keeps the legal and financial burden off the utility.How to Protect Yourself and RespondUse the Right Terminology for ReportsIf you speak with an Entergy supervisor or file an official complaint, drop the word "brownout." Instead, use their preferred technical jargon: "sustained low-voltage anomaly," "partial phase drop," or "unstable low line voltage." This forces them to document the actual physical symptoms you observed rather than closing the ticket based on a word definition.Document Everything for InsuranceIf any of your electronics or appliances were damaged during the event, log into your myEntergy Account and take screenshots of the acknowledged issue window or any text alerts they sent you. Pair this with the timestamp of when your home's lights dimmed. You will need this timeline to prove the low-voltage event caused the appliance damage.File an Escaled ComplaintIf Entergy's denial is preventing you from getting answers or handling property damage, skip their front-line customer service. File an official consumer complaint directly with the Arkansas Public Service Commission, which regulates Entergy Arkansas. Utilities take PSC complaints much more seriously because they are actively audited by state regulators. I know it's AI, but could be helpful

It seems the grid here in America has been setup to fail. I hope everyone has some kind of back up power source available for these strange "brownouts" or even a full grid down scenario. The dogs barking and walls buzzing reminded me of scenes from Stranger Things whenever they neared "the upside-down,"



Thought this was an appropriate response:

Norma Jean Vaughan Slagel
Well this sounds pretty sinister. We only experienced a short outage. But all the other reports are major different from ours. It sound very like a fire danger and makes me think of the fires in Hawaii and California that homes all suddenly caught fire burnt to ash and never bothered the trees. Almost as though the homes alone were specific targets of a sinister happening. Maybe they had this kind of surging or what ever it is called as well.

[Raskolnikov]

Here's a few short video updates on the Spokane fire and its similarities to Lahaina.

FIREPOLE DESTROYED Spokane WA Old Trails Fire 8-1-26

Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/qQc5YxtfXIRk


Are the Spokane Fires connected to Smart Meters?

Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/YkaIm7Uvwkhc


Spencer Pratt: We cannot let Spokane fall through the cracks.

Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/p1QuO4VSRGZ3




I haven't watched this yet but it's a recent video by Redacted titled:
Spokane Wildfires: Is This Another Maui Land Grab 3 Years Later?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=UOwvl-PWaj0

[Sue (Ayt)]

Posted by Raskolnikov (here)
It seems the grid here in America has been setup to fail. I hope everyone has some kind of back up power source available for these strange "brownouts" or even a full grid down scenario. The dogs barking and walls buzzing reminded me of scenes from Stranger Things whenever they neared "the upside-down,"

Yes! I was reminded of the same. That, and "The Whispers" series.

[Raskolnikov]

It's sad that there's so much taking place in the world right now that a story like this barely gets one cycle in the news then is gone. So much so that I had completely forgotten about the Palisades fire of 2025 when beginning this thread. Less than two years ago. A fire that did damage like this to million dollar beach front homes,



and the movie star homes above,



and I somehow already forgot. How is that even possible? It really is the age of information overload. And celebrities like Tom Hanks even made the news during that fire:

Tom Hanks' $26M cliffside Pacific Palisades mansion narrowly avoids LA fire

https://www.dailymail.com/tvshowbiz/...alifornia.html

I'm left stunned and bewildered at how quickly such devastating news vanishes from not only the news cycle but from memory as well. But I see destruction like this and feel for the victims. Look at the remains of this car collection,


Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/cde2vXDeo46L


The smoke where I live is worse now than when I started this thread four days ago. There are two other fires near the Canadian border that are pretty close as well. Can't see the mountains anymore and the air quality index is unhealthy warning that members of sensitive groups may experience serious health effects. With so much burned metal, I can't help but wonder what's in the air, especially when you take into consideration the amount of glyphosate that's being sprayed on our national forests:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=il75UKzKQZk

"When the Forest Service sent a routine letter about wildfire recovery in, one word buried in the text stopped me cold: herbicides.

This spring, federal agencies plan to spray glyphosate—the world's most controversial and widely-debated weedkiller—across thousands and thousands of acres of public land. Land where families camp, hikers explore, hunters pursue game, and children swim in mountain streams. And almost no one knows it's happening.

Glyphosate, introduced by agri-giant Monsanto in 1974, has been classified as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Bayer, the multinational conglomerate that acquired Monsanto in 2018, has now paid over $12 billion in legal settlements to thousands of people who claim Roundup gave them cancer and other serious illnesses. Scientists have also linked the chemical to decimated Monarch butterfly populations, mass frog die-offs, and widespread environmental destruction.

And yet in February, President Trump signed an executive order declaring glyphosate critical to national security, invoking the Defense Production Act to guarantee its continued use and shielding its producers from legal liability.

So why is one of the most litigated chemicals in American history being quietly sprayed across our national forests?

To get to the bottom of it, my colleague Melissa Lewis and I pulled California pesticide application records going back to 1995 and analyzed more than 5 million data points. What we uncovered was deeply troubling: glyphosate spraying in California forests has quintupled since 2005—the fastest-growing market for the chemical in the state—and the public has been left almost entirely in the dark.

This is the plan they don't want you to know about."

https://environmentamerica.org/calif...ional-forests/

https://www.motherjones.com/politics...ayer-lawsuits/

[Raskolnikov]

First nation tribal lands have been hit very hard by fires in both Canada and the Pacific Northwest. I'll refrain from sharing conspiracy theories and the possible reasons behind why they'd want to clear Indians off the lands and instead share a video and article that show very similar burn patterns of structures and trees.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Vnd2QVafIn0

The Whitewater Lake First Nation in north-west Ontario has been burned to the ground. Photograph: Nishnawbe Aski Nation/Reuters

We received no alert, say leaders of First Nations communities razed by Canadian wildfires

Chiefs in Ontario say they were left to self-evacuate before homes burned to ground, after being told there was no imminent threat

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ons-government

And 20,000 more people evacuated in Spokane as hundreds more structures burn:


Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/ShDaPeCDsc7S

[Raskolnikov]

Though I'm not a fan of these polished talking heads with the slick delivery who suddenly appear out of nowhere like the one during the investigations of the Lahaina fire, sorry, can't remember his name, but didn't he end up being a very untrustworthy and suspicious individual? This guy appears to be the current model. But the video does share some new information like a clip from a city council meeting on data centers, more footage of the fire burning homes, clips of the police going door to door telling people to evacuate, witnesses reporting no fire fighters on the scene even hours after the first homes started burning, and a Spokane county commissioner having secret discussions with a data center developer named, Apricus Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd., which has no record having built anything and has only 11 employees.

This company, named Apricus Energy Partners, https://www.apricusenergypartners.com/, in The Chronicle, https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-...-outcry,406232, has all the hallmarks of a sustainable energy shell company pushing a "carbon-neutral future" through data center development. Here's the mission statement:

Apricus Energy Partners was formed by a group of like-minded individuals with a passion for sustainable energy and the solutions we can provide for commercial and industrial power users across North America. Our team's experience includes decades of energy expertise, including traditional and renewable energy.

Our mission is to accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy future by providing reliable, affordable, and clean energy solutions. We are committed to developing innovative renewable energy technologies and delivering them to communities while striving to minimize our environmental impact and maximizing social benefits.

They claim decades of energy experience and yet the Chronicle claims to have found none:

A company proposing a massive Spokane area data center has nearly zero history, spurring outcry from concerned residents

"The company proposing to build a massive data center on the West Plains has sought partners from here to Southern California to help it build facilities to produce the hydrogen that it promises will revolutionize fuel for everything from aircraft to buses.

But Apricus Energy Partners, which was formed only three years ago, doesn't appear to have ever built a thing.

Online sources indicate it has fewer than 11 employees. Its founder and president, Sean P. Boyd, claims that the company is now based in Spokane.

But its listed address in the Lilac City is a P.O. Box.

Boyd originally founded the company in 2023 in Surprise, Arizona, according to Washington state records. But according to Arizona records, Boyd terminated the limited liability company there at the end of 2023.

The address listed as the Surprise headquarters of Apricus Energy Partners is not a large factory or even a building in an industrial site. It's a house with a terracotta-tile roof in a Surprise subdivision: Boyd's home.

But Boyd, apparently, had a willing partner in Spokane County Commissioner Al French when he pitched a grand plan to build a state-of-the art hydrogen production facility and data center on 514 acres of land on the West Plains, located at 11703 W. Medical Lake Highway.

Based on records provided to The Spokesman-Review by a stay-at-home mom who put in an information request with the county, the facility could eventually use up to 1,000 megawatts of power for a data center that would provide Apricus the financial support to build a next-generation hydrogen fuel facility.

"The hydrogen is my goal, not the data center. The data center is ancillary," French said last month. "If all they had to offer was a data center, I mean, good luck. But that's what they're doing. It's the hydrogen that's my attraction."

But that data center portion of the proposal is exactly what many local residents don't want..."

The article goes into more on the public outcry and the real threat of these data centers. Here's the video followed by one of the responses,


Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/e6LNbEvABhqI


HughWildman
The fires in northwestern Canada were started because of the abandoned copper mines and lithium deposits. They (you know who) want that land at fire sale prices.
The northern California fires were for the high speed rail route.

If you don't think they'll run you off YOUR land if they want it,
look at the Maui fire and beachfront property.
And western NC floods and lithium and quartz deposits.
Or look at the Gaza beachfront property and the genocide of 2 million people.

Hillary, the FBI and BLM ran 80+ ranchers and farmers off their land to get the yellowcake uranium for the Uranium One Deal with Russia.
She made $140 million off that operation.
Bill got a million for a 30 minute speech in Moscow.
See billionaire Canadian Frank Guistra who launders CIA cash through his Lionsgate films.

[Raskolnikov]

This man in British Columbia, Canada, lays out the reasons behind all the fires that have been devastating Canada.


Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/uRHK4e0rhFfn

The agenda rolls forward no matter who's in office, more so today than ever before, at least in our present lifetimes. The only thing they fear is the great awakening, the hundredth monkey effect that finally opens everyone's eyes to the deception and mass genocide, followed by "an uprising like this world has never seen."

[Raskolnikov]

The similarities between the Spokane and Lahaina fires continue as the American Red Cross says it is not accepting donations of clothing, food, or volunteers at this time, citing that it often creates waste and work(!), and cannot be used on a mass scale. This organization is criminal. Lots of new clips and information in this one:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=r4Q96_BeMk0

The Spokane fire is still burning with new arsonists being found daily.

ANOTHER ARSON ATTEMPT IN SPOKANE 8-13-26

Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/5DDvOyMnAcuU

And Canada is still ablaze. What is going on here in Kelowna British Columbia?

Arsonist chased while setting wildfires near Kelowna British Columbia

Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/LOIqXifkDKO8

While it’s true arsonists are starting many of these fires, whether random or organized, there are many more factors involved. I still maintain that even if a fire is started by an arsonist, in order for that fire to completely destroy homes and not touch trees a second layer of nefariousness is being employed.

Spokane - Smart meters and forest fires 🔥 as a weapon

Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/q8esOHeWOWdu

[Raskolnikov]

A cursory search of the internet will reveal that the world's automotive salvage yards have been catching fire at a rapid rate for at least the last six years. Many here are most likely familiar with the many conspiracy theories related to these junkyard fires, everything from lithium batteries and discarded vape cartridges being the cause to the more nefarious globalist push to destroy old vehicles in order to get everyone into new total surveilance vehicles and ultimately out of vehicles altogether. Lauren Fix looks beyond the causes of the salvage yard fires to how these fires are already effecting the average everyday driver. "The next time headlines report another major scrapyard blaze, it may be worth looking beyond the smoke. The real story isn’t necessarily what caused the fire. The real story is what was lost, who depended on it, and whether Americans can afford to lose another source of affordable repairs at a time when vehicle ownership is already becoming more expensive by the year."

America’s salvage yards are burning. Drivers are the ones paying the price



By Lauren Fix
June 12, 2026

While most Americans see scrapyard fires as local news, the real story may be unfolding in repair shops, insurance offices, and family budgets across the country.

Americans don’t need another reason for vehicle ownership to become more expensive.

New vehicle prices remain painfully high. Used vehicle prices are still well above historical norms. Insurance premiums continue climbing. Repair bills have reached levels that would have seemed absurd just a decade ago. For many families, keeping an older vehicle on the road isn’t a preference anymore. It’s a necessity.

That’s why a trend developing across the country deserves far more attention than it’s getting.

America’s salvage yards are burning.

Most people see footage of a scrapyard fire and assume it’s a local story. Firefighters respond, smoke fills the sky, investigators arrive, and eventually the headlines move on. But treating these fires as isolated incidents misses a much larger issue. Every major salvage-yard fire destroys inventory that helps keep repair costs under control for millions of Americans.

The average driver may never visit a salvage yard, but there’s a good chance they’ve benefited from one. Whether it’s a replacement transmission, a body panel after a collision, a wheel, a mirror, a seat assembly, or an electronic module, recycled parts help reduce repair costs every day. They provide alternatives to expensive new components and help keep older vehicles economically viable.

That matters because the economics of vehicle ownership have changed dramatically.

A generation ago, a damaged headlight was a relatively inexpensive repair. Today, many headlights contain advanced LED technology, sensors, cameras, and electronics that can push replacement costs into the thousands of dollars. Bumpers contain radar systems. Side mirrors contain cameras and blind-spot monitoring equipment. Modern vehicles are safer and more capable than ever before, but they’re also significantly more expensive to repair.

The salvage industry has quietly helped offset those costs for decades.

Most Americans think of a salvage yard as a graveyard for wrecked vehicles. In reality, it’s more accurate to think of these facilities as warehouses filled with reusable automotive inventory. Every totaled vehicle that arrives at a salvage yard contains components that may help repair another vehicle. Engines, transmissions, suspension components, body panels, wheels, electronics, wiring harnesses, airbags, sensors, and countless other parts are inspected, cataloged, and sold back into the marketplace.

That inventory is one of the reasons many repairs remain affordable.

When a salvage yard loses thousands of vehicles and parts to a fire, the impact doesn’t stop at the property line. Repair shops lose access to inventory. Collision centers have fewer options when sourcing components. Insurance companies lose salvage value. Consumers lose access to affordable alternatives.

Eventually, those costs find their way through the system.

The automotive industry has become remarkably effective at spreading costs around until nobody notices where they originated. Higher repair costs become higher insurance claims. Higher insurance claims contribute to higher premiums. Parts shortages lead to longer repair times. Longer repair times increase rental-car expenses. Consumers don’t always see the connection, but they almost always end up paying for it.

That is why these fires deserve more scrutiny than they typically receive.

Industry groups have reported record numbers of fires at recycling facilities in recent years. The explanation most frequently offered is lithium-ion batteries. On the surface, that explanation makes sense. Batteries are now embedded in nearly every aspect of modern life. Phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes, scooters, hybrid vehicles, and electric vehicles all contain lithium-ion batteries. When damaged, crushed, punctured, or improperly handled, they can ignite and create fires that are difficult to extinguish.

There is no question that batteries present real challenges for recyclers.

But there is another question that deserves attention.

How many of these fires have been conclusively linked to batteries?

How many remain under investigation?

How many are still classified as undetermined?

Consumers deserve answers because the consequences extend far beyond the recycling industry.

In recent years, “battery fire” has become the explanation attached to an increasing number of incidents. Sometimes that explanation is supported by evidence. Sometimes investigations remain ongoing long after public assumptions have already solidified. That doesn’t mean batteries aren’t responsible. It means facts matter, particularly when billions of dollars in inventory and critical supply-chain assets are involved.

The bigger concern is that America may be paying too little attention to the role automotive recyclers play in maintaining affordable transportation.

The average age of vehicles on American roads continues to rise. More consumers are choosing to repair older vehicles rather than replace them. That decision isn’t difficult to understand. With new vehicle prices approaching levels many households simply cannot justify, keeping an existing vehicle running often makes the most financial sense.

The problem is that repair affordability depends on access to parts.

For decades, independent repair shops have relied on recycled components to provide consumers with options. A customer driving a twelve-year-old SUV doesn’t necessarily need or want a brand-new factory component if a quality recycled part is available. A family trying to avoid another car payment may decide to repair an aging vehicle because the cost remains manageable. An insurance company may choose to repair rather than total a vehicle because recycled parts help control expenses.

Remove enough inventory from the marketplace and those calculations start changing.

This is where the conversation intersects with the broader right-to-repair debate.

Much of the public discussion surrounding right-to-repair focuses on access to diagnostic information, software, and service procedures. Those issues matter. Consumers should have the ability to repair products they own. But access to information is only one piece of the equation. A repair manual doesn’t repair a vehicle. Diagnostic access doesn’t replace a damaged transmission.

The ability to repair something ultimately depends on obtaining the necessary parts at a reasonable cost.

Salvage yards have long played an important role in preserving that choice. They provide competition in the parts market and help prevent consumers from being locked into a single source for replacement components. As inventory becomes scarcer, that competitive pressure weakens. The result is fewer options and higher costs.

Independent repair facilities understand this reality better than most. These businesses compete every day against dealership service departments and large repair chains. Their ability to source quality recycled parts often helps them provide solutions that fit within a customer’s budget. Without that flexibility, many repairs simply stop making financial sense.

Consumers are left with two unpleasant choices: pay significantly more for repairs or replace the vehicle entirely.

Neither option is particularly attractive in today’s economy.

Insurance companies have their own reasons to pay attention.

Every totaled vehicle contains value that can be recovered through salvage and recycling. That recovered value helps offset losses throughout the insurance system. When inventory is destroyed before it can be recovered and resold, those economic benefits disappear.

No single scrapyard fire is going to transform the automotive industry.

But that’s not the point.

The concern isn’t one fire.

The concern is a pattern.

It’s a pattern of increasing fires, increasing vehicle complexity, increasing repair costs, increasing insurance premiums, and increasing pressure on the systems that help keep transportation affordable.

Viewed individually, each challenge appears manageable.

Viewed together, they tell a different story.

The automotive industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history. Vehicles are becoming more technologically advanced, more software-dependent, and more expensive to repair. At the same time, consumers are keeping vehicles longer because replacement costs continue rising.

That makes the automotive recycling industry more important than ever.

Yet it remains largely invisible to the public until something catches fire.

The next time headlines report another major scrapyard blaze, it may be worth looking beyond the smoke. The real story isn’t necessarily what caused the fire. The real story is what was lost, who depended on it, and whether Americans can afford to lose another source of affordable repairs at a time when vehicle ownership is already becoming more expensive by the year.

Because the cost of these fires doesn’t disappear when the flames are extinguished.

Like most costs in the automotive industry, it eventually finds its way back to the consumer.

Americans are already struggling to afford transportation.

The country can debate EV mandates, emissions rules, tariffs, fuel prices, and insurance regulation all day long.

But if affordable repairs disappear, none of those debates matter to the family staring at a $6,000 repair bill.

https://www.cbtnews.com/americas-sav...s-are-burning/