The most effective way to reduce deaths and property destruction from California wildfires would be to stop building in fire-prone areas, and make structures that already exist in those areas more resilient.
It's a simple and sound strategy, but it would also be expensive and wildly unpopular. People want to live in the state's stunning wooded landscapes and making homes, businesses, and neighborhoods more fire-resistant could be hugely expensive.
Experts say as climate change causes more frequent and destructive blazes, anything less won’t make enough of a difference to prevent the devastating fires that have swept through the state in the past few weeks, though. California uses the most up-to-date version of model national codes, and doesn’t allow local governments to opt out of those codes.
New homes in places with the highest risk of wildfire get built with fire-resistant materials and construction techniques, but many older structures were not built to those standards. Furthermore, California’s aggressive wildfire codes don’t apply in neighborhoods that may appear safer on paper, but are increasingly affected as fires grow to the sizes that caused so much destruction recently.
Related Stories
| Jan 31, 2014
New LEED online platform now available for LEED v4 projects
LEED v4 projects will be the first to experience the new LEED Online platform with streamlined documentation and processes.
| Jan 26, 2014
New York extends, enhances tax abatements to promote green roofs
The expansion of a tax-abatement program for green roofs under New York state law doubles the previous maximum benefit of $100,000, adds new plant species to the list of those applicable for the tax break.
| Jan 23, 2014
Washington state micro apartment law prompts fire safety concerns
Proposed legislation to further regulate the building of micro apartments has triggered appeals from community activists concerned that fire safety standards are sub-par.
| Jan 23, 2014
Pennsylvania owes school districts $1B for construction projects
The Pennsylvania Department of Education owes about $1 billion to numerous school districts for about 350 state-approved renovation and construction projects.
| Jan 23, 2014
About 1,500 concrete buildings in Los Angeles found vulnerable to earthquakes
Some 1,500 concrete structures built in Los Angeles before 1980 could be vulnerable to earthquakes, according to University of California researchers.
| Jan 23, 2014
Low-slope roofs with PVs tested for wind uplift resistance
Tests showed winds can cause photovoltaic panels to destroy waterproof membranes.
| Jan 16, 2014
Bio-based materials could transform the future of sustainable building
Recent winners of the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Challenge include a brick made from bacterial byproducts and insulation created from agricultural waste products.
| Jan 16, 2014
The incandescent light bulb is not dead
Despite misleading media reports, January 1 did not mark a ban on the manufacture or import of 60-watt and 40-watt incandescent bulbs.
| Jan 16, 2014
ASHRAE revised climatic data for building design standards
ASHRAE Standard 169, Climatic Data for Building Design Standards, now includes climatic data for 5,564 locations throughout the world.
| Jan 15, 2014
ConsensusDocs releases updated subcontract for federal work
The new version addresses recent changes in federal contracting.
