Erica Fischer, an Oregon professor, emphasizes that the fires in LA are unsurprising due to a substantial increase in homes in fire-prone areas, as nearly 45% built from 1990 to 2020 are in the wildfire-prone wildland-urban interface, despite comprising less than 7% of the state's land.
Alexandra Syphard highlights the inherent risks of living in the wildland-urban interface where that fire-prone environment translates to a higher likelihood of fires to reach homes, stating "the more people you have in an area like that, the higher your likelihood that one of those people will start a fire...".
A study shows a trend where nearly 60% of buildings destroyed in California fires between 1970-2009 are rebuilt within six years, without significant improvements in fire resistance, indicating no trend towards enhanced safety in rebuilding practices.
Despite the chronic wildfire crisis, the argument to continue building in fire risk areas remains prevalent in California, responding to public housing needs even amid the dangers posed by its fire-prone geography.
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