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Elon Musk Free to Ship Flamethrowers to California

During the first months of the year, the name on almost everybody’s mind was Elon Musk. The man was busy assembling scores of Model 3s, launching a car into space and selling oversized torches on the Internet.
The Boring Company flamethrower 1 photo
Photo: The Boring Company
The flamethrowers created by the Boring Company, which in the right hands can be turned into weapons of mass incineration in spite of the fact that Musk labeled them “not a flamethrower,” has sparked quite a controversy and, in California, a bill meant to prevent locals from setting stuff ablaze.

California Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D–Los Angeles) was the one who stepped forward and said “enough!” to the billionaire. And for a good reason. The 2017 California wildfire season was the most destructive one on record, burning as per the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection 1,381,405 acres (5,590.35 km2) in the state.

To prevent another fire outbreak, Santiago put forward a bill that was meant to stop the sale of the gadgets in the state for recreational use, but permitting their sale for use in industrial or agricultural applications.

“If this is real, I’m outraged, and you should be too. If this is a joke, then it’s a terribly insensitive one given that we’re coming off of the worst wildfire season in history. Either way: NOT FUNNY. NOT GONNA HAPPEN,” the official said when announcing his intention.

The bill was immediately contested by gun-rights activists and groups, in spite of support from the police and the fire department.

Gun loving Americans had their way apparently as, according to a report by San Francisco Chronicle, the piece of legislation has been buried in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, a body notorious for killing bills.

On his part, Elon Musk already stated the flamethrowers are about to ship to their customers in the coming days, so it’s likely we’ll get to see whether Santiago was right to worry in a very short time.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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