Notes to the Editor: It’s reassuring to see California finally move away from outdated wildfire management strategies and embrace contemporary wildfire science, a change that’s long overdue.
As this article points out, lawmakers are now shifting their wildfire response focus toward evidence-based strategies to protect life and property (“Lawmakers eye new prevention measures in fire-torn California: ‘A turning point'” March 4). They are more focused than ever on helping homeowners retrofit their structures and neighborhoods, as well as building the resilience of high-risk communities.
The recent anniversary of the wind-driven brush/urban fires in Los Angeles was a painful reminder that the real danger lies on the edge of cities, not deep in remote forests. For years, we’ve poured money into remote fuel projects that looked like action but didn’t stop windswept embers from turning communities into disaster zones. This new legislative plan is a step toward correcting that mistake. It focuses on evidence, not optics, on results, not misleading narratives.
Californians should develop wildfire policies that address the fires we actually face and fight. This bill package is a smart, science-based step in that direction.
Jennifer Nomoyle, Hillsboro, CA
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
