This article hits home. This is exactly why Hills For Everyone has been fighting projects in the hills in known wildfire corridors, including Madrona and Esperanza Hills. How much risk is one community supposed to take on and at what price? Read the Los Angeles Times article.
Homes built to better standards can withstand fires better. However, even when they are built to better standards, the question remains: should we be putting people in harm’s way? It is a planning issue at the heart of the matter. No matter the fire-fighting resources you pour into stopping a fire’s progression, if it is wind-driven, it is a losing battle until the winds change (literally). Check out the Orange County Register article.
The OC Register printed a great article on why building at the Wildland-Urban Interface is NOT a great idea. It turns out, from this UCI published report, that Santa Ana Wind driven fires cause more damage (80% of the $3.1 billion in economic losses) and move faster (three times the speed of non-wind driven fires). It all comes back to planning. Jim Randerson says it best in the article: “We can’t keep increasing new exposure with new developments in high-risk, high-wildfire … Read More
The OC Register released an article on the risks of building homes in the canyons. Not only do firefighters have to contend with rugged terrain, but they must also deal with winding, narrow and dead-end streets. Taxpayers bear the burden of paying for homes in dangerous locations when fires strike. Maybe it is time to stop building houses at the Wildland-Urban Interface?