Reuters: “Can LA Wildfires Prompt New Focus on Community Mitigation Efforts?”
Research by David Wear and insights from Matthew Wibbenmeyer support this story about wildfire mitigation efforts.
The fires in the LA region have burned more than 40,000 acres, killing at least 27 people and destroying more than 15,000 structures.
"These policies can benefit not just the homeowner that obeys them but can also benefit their neighbors," said Matthew Wibbenmeyer, a fellow with think tank Resources for the Future who has studied wildfires for 15 years.
A report from the think tank last year found that as the climate changes, parts of the United States such as the Southeast will see most of their wildfire risk coming from private lands.
But reaching residents and private landowners remains tricky, said Wibbenmeyer, noting they may be concerned about cost or simply resistant to removing a favorite bush to tamp down risk. "But with the event we're seeing this week (in LA) and in recent years, I think that's definitely changing."
