Today, the Los Angeles Times published an article from Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Bettina Boxall questioning the efficacy of fuel breaks to protect communities throughout California from wildfire. The article, Forest thinning projects won’t stop the worst wildfires. So why is California spending millions on them?, cites leading scientists, fire chiefs, current and retired Forest Service employees, and conservation groups, underscoring that retrofitting homes with fire-safe materials is the best way to improve wildfire safety.
Read the full story to learn more about the failures of major fuel breaks during 2017 and 2018 wildfires that caused the most damage to communities in California, including the Thomas Fire which burned over several miles of fuel breaks as it moved from Ventura to Santa Barbara. The article also features ForestWatch’s conservation director, Bryant Baker, who led a field visit with the reporter to one of the fuel breaks north of Ojai.
“This article perfectly captures the problems with local, state, and federal governments’ myopic focus on vegetation removal despite a large body of evidence that these techniques don’t work when they matter most,” said Baker. “The Los Angeles Times should be recognized for their continued strong reporting on wildfire issues in California.”
The story synthesizes much of what ForestWatch has been advocating for over a decade. More resources must be diverted to hardening homes and improving early warning and evacuation systems in order to truly protect communities from wildfire.
You can read more about wildfire in our region by visiting our Fire Page and by reading our annotated bibliography on wildfire management in chaparral and coastal sage scrub.
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