Home » As L.A. fire victims rebuild, let’s make safety the first priority – Jobsmaa.com

As L.A. fire victims rebuild, let’s make safety the first priority – Jobsmaa.com

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Fires are still burning, threatening wind warnings abound, and in devastated communities, residents search the rubble for belongings and pets.

Decisions must ultimately be made — by residents, elected officials, developers and planners — about what happens to this scorched land.

The people who lived — and lost — in communities devastated by the most devastating fire in Los Angeles County history — will ultimately decide whether to relocate for good or rebuild their homes and neighborhoods where they were. In the Palisades, some have lived there for decades, others not so long. In Altadena, multi-generational families lived in their homes. Whatever residents decide, the rest of us — including state, county and city leaders — must be careful not to displace them again by preventing them from rebuilding.

However, we must all understand that the string of devastating fires in the decades preceding this latest fire has forced changes in the way we live and build.

This does not mean that an area affected by a wildfire should not be rebuilt. It means creation Fire breaks and buffer zones To provide some barrier between developments and forest land. This means building with highly fire-resistant materials and fire-resistant vents.

Every devastating, large-scale urban fire fueled by wildfires in California has taught cities something about how to better build and organize communities.

Building codes have changed over the years, and newer homes are more fire-resistant. But that doesn't begin to solve everything.

“The building industry is saying over and over, 'We can certainly build safely in these neighborhoods,'” says JP, policy director of the Center for Biological Diversity. Ross, who has worked to support legislation regulating buildings in high fire hazard areas. “These codes will not admit that they are not enough because the buildings built for the code have burned down. We are really playing with fire when we refuse to see if these actually work and put all our faith in them.

One thing that hasn't changed much is where Californians want to live. For decades, they have perched themselves on hillsides, tucked themselves into valleys or spread across the foothills. It's not always about a vision. People live in communities they know, perhaps where they grew up, near family and friends, near their work.

Rebuilding in fire-prone areas involves moving power lines underground, widening or laying roads for easy access in and out of neighborhoods in the event of a fire. Outdoor sprinklers On the roofs of houses. Some of these ideas are cheap – but no destructive fire.

There will be much debate in the coming days about whether there were enough firefighters at the time of the fire and whether enough firefighters acted when wind storm warnings foreshadowed danger in the dry county.

“The death and destruction caused by recent wildfires should have been enough to remind California that dangerous wildfires cannot continue to spread across the landscape. So far, California leaders have refused to act. What will it take?” The Written by the editorial team That was five years ago.

But if we want to continue to live here and build more homes – we desperately need it long before thousands of fire victims are left homeless – we need to thoughtfully create an environment that promises to become more challenging later.

We must continue to think and act as neighbors by supporting those who want to rebuild. There are many problems ahead. Returning residents must be part of the solutions.

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