With wildfires continuing to rage across southern California, a fire researcher says lowering fire risk means reconsidering where and how we build our communities.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on California fire 2017
Displaying all articles
There are well-understood ways to minimize the risk of fire spreading through housing – if only developers, homeowners and officials took heed.
Fire is part of the ecology in much of California, but recent wildfires have caused much more damage than past burns of similar size. A fire ecologist points to two key factors: winds and population growth.
The media and policymakers often say a ‘perfect storm’ of environmental factors cause wildfires but that ignores the role of irresponsible urban planning and development in raising fire risks.
A California fire expert explains why municipalities need to reassess urban fire risk and take steps to learn how to coexist with fire.
Top contributors
-
Wildfire Specialist at the University of California Cooperative Extension; Adjunct Professor Bren School of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara
-
Academic Coordinator, California Institute for Water Resources, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
-
Research Ecologist, US Geological Survey
-
Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Denver
