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Fire and wind are certain to shape the future of Los Angeles as the world warms.
Los Angeles had started taking steps to prepare. But there are lessons it can learn from other cities adapting to extreme fire weather: managing yards; taking care of neighbors; making it easier to get out of harm’s way.
One big challenge, among many, is that plans like these need to be widely adopted. One home is only as safe as the home next door. “If your neighbor doesn’t do anything, and you do, if that home burns it will create so much radiant heat, yours will burn too,” said Kimiko Barrett of Headwaters Economics in Bozeman, Mont., a company that advises cities on reducing wildfire damage risk.
Neighbors matter. Building codes and zoning rules matter. But perhaps most of all, money matters. Building for an age of fire can be expensive, and often out of reach for many homeowners living in fire-prone communities.
Look hard at the landscape
Boulder County, Colo., has learned some big lessons from recent fires.
Pine needles and debris around a house quickly spread flames. Juniper bushes explode in fire. In fact, county officials call junipers “gasoline plants.” Firewood stuffed under a deck can ignite and destroy a house.
The county has spent several years persuading people to clear debris and rip out junipers. Voters have agreed to a sales tax hike to help pay for it.
Los Angeles has its own problem plant: palms. Many palm species, once they catch fire, are very hard to put out. In fire-prone areas, they should be avoided entirely, according to the Los Angeles County fire department.
