Los Angles Needs Fireproof Zones, Not Just Homes

The planners and residents working to rebuild Los Angeles aren’t starting from scratch, however. Existing roads, infrastructure, and land will all shape how the city will be rebuilt. Some people may want to rebuild on the same land, while others may sell their land to create a safe haven.

On January 13, Mayor Bass issued an order to do so expedite permits when rebuilding “like for like” and removing this from comments that would slow down the rebuilding process. Governor Newsom also revived permitting regulations under the California Environmental Quality Act to expedite rebuilding.

Exactly how L.A. chooses to rebuild is a “social question,” says Moritz. “It’s no longer a big scientific question. Shouldn’t we as a society evaluate how and when people build or rebuild, so that it’s safe and less affected by the way public money goes? Because a lot of this will happen again.”

California’s wildfires have become more frequent and more destructive in recent years. About 7.08 million acres burned in California between 2009 and 2018 — more than doubling the place was burned between 1979 and 1988. The number of urban fires has also increased. In the 10 years between 1979 and 1988 approximately 22,000 acres of burned land were within what are known as wildland/urban areas – areas where homes are close to the fire environment. By 2009-2018 it had increased to 32,000 acres.

One result of all of this is that California officials have a good map of high-risk areas. Most of the areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires were designated as the most dangerous place for firemeaning that new things in these areas need to be done to reduce the risk of fire spreading from wild vegetation into homes, including planting fire resistant plants and keeping any trees and shrubs trimmed and away from homes.

But demand for housing is so high in cities like Los Angeles that developers often only build in high-risk areas. After a wildfire, developers can slow down construction in vulnerable areas for a while, but after a few years they return to previous development rates, says Nicholas Irwin, who studies economics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. .

Cities and state officials should consider ways to discourage development in high-risk areas, Irwin says. One way would be to increase property taxes in high-risk areas, but another would be to encourage developers to increase investment—build more houses and apartments in underutilized urban areas.

“We need more development, especially in places like Los Angeles. The real estate market there is messed up, and it’s getting worse,” he says. “

Installing electrical wiring can also go a long way in protecting a home from the dangers of wildfires. The fire that destroyed it Paradise burned due to power line failure, as were seven other devastating fires in California. Covering electricity is not cheap, either that money has passed for working customers, many of whom do not live in areas at risk of wildfires.

“It’s the little things that add up in the long run,” says Irwin. Laying power lines, encouraging mass development, and building protected areas. But long-term investments need to change the way people think about living in dangerous places and accept that sustainable communities come at a cost. “I don’t know if we’ll learn anything,” Irwin said.