LA Times: "Laguna Beach adopted a set of fire-resistant construction standards, developed native brush fuel modification standards and greatly increased the amount of water stored at an elevation where only gravity is required to provide pressure to hydrants.

Our fuel modification efforts are moving too slowly. The brush that surrounds and infiltrates our developed areas is no longer in its natural state. It has become an overgrown source of limitless fuel that can burn entire neighborhoods to the ground. "

The usual answer to this kind of better way to prevent fires, before they are firestorms?

"To the editor: Several people are quoted as saying that poor brush clearance was among the reasons the Palisades fire and others have been so bad.

Although preventing huge firestorms is not as simple as implied, elimination of brush can lead to other major problems. Erosion and landslides that can result from "climate whiplash" also cause tremendous damage.

Without a decrease in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we can expect more firestorms and more damaging atmospheric rivers. Those who continue to publicly deny the global warming that is caused by burning fossil fuels should help pay for the recovery from this destruction.

Bill Roundy, Orange"

OK lets not talk about the problem, and instead start shouting about nature, climate change and greenhouse gasses. Maybe someone can explain climate whiplash and how that applies to water in elevated places, better fire resistant homes and clearing brush and the fuel for the fires? But mostly this is how things are in California. People don't want to admit that they built their homes in a prairie that for centuries, was open grass and brush, that burned in a natural way, on a regular basis. And they won't admit that they have to prevent fires, instead of just complaining and blaming some outside forces.

The Native Americans were smart enough to build almost all village sites, on the East side of a river, so when the prairie fires came in the Spring, they had a fire break. No I'm not saying that California has that option, but if they know the history and ecology and natural system of the area, they would have planned to prevent these fires, instead of denial and blame.

New fire erupts in Southern California as thousands remain under evacuation from fast-moving Hughes Fire.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/01/22/us/hughes-fire-los-angeles-county-california