Climate Changed
California’s Wildfire Epidemic Is Blamed on Bad Building Decisions
- Experts say the state should strengthen already tough codes
- Fires spur misgivings: ‘Why the heck did you all build there?’
This article is for subscribers only.
California’s deadly wildfires have a straightforward solution, experts say: stop building homes in places that are likely to burn -- and make homes that already exist in those areas a whole lot tougher.
That approach, wildfire and climate policy experts are quick to add, would be expensive and unpopular, especially in a state with both a housing shortage and stunning wooded landscapes that people want to live in. But as climate change causes more frequent and shocking blazes, they say anything less won’t make enough of a difference.