Reported by KATYA SCHWENK

(Summary version featured below)

The recent wildfires in Los Angeles, the most destructive in the city’s history, have devastated thousands of homes and displaced over 100,000 residents. While natural factors like high winds and prolonged drought played a role, unchecked urban development in high-risk wildfire zones significantly exacerbated the disaster. Despite longstanding warnings from environmentalists and policymakers, real estate and construction interests have persistently pushed for expansion into these vulnerable areas, often successfully opposing measures designed to limit such development.

In 2021, State Senator Henry Stern introduced legislation aimed at restricting new home construction in zones designated as “very high risk” for wildfires. This bill sought to prevent further endangerment of lives and properties by halting development in the most perilous areas unless comprehensive wildfire risk management plans were in place. However, the real estate industry’s lobbying efforts effectively quashed the bill, allowing development to continue unabated in these zones.

The influence of the real estate sector extends beyond defeating restrictive legislation; it has also succeeded in weakening safety standards for constructions in fire-prone areas. By prioritizing profit over safety, these developers have increased the vulnerability of communities to wildfires. The recent fires have tragically demonstrated the consequences of such priorities, with many homes in these high-risk zones reduced to ashes.

Compounding the issue, local and state officials face immense pressure from these powerful interests to approve large-scale developments in high-risk areas. This relentless push for expansion disregards environmental concerns and public safety, perpetuating a cycle of destruction as wildfires become more frequent and severe due to climate change. The recent devastation in Los Angeles underscores the urgent need to reassess and regulate development practices in wildfire-prone regions.

The situation in Los Angeles serves as a stark reminder of the perils of allowing corporate interests to override public safety considerations. Without significant policy changes and enforcement of development restrictions in high-risk wildfire zones, communities will continue to face heightened dangers from increasingly severe wildfires. Addressing this issue requires confronting the corruption and mismanagement that have enabled such reckless development, prioritizing the well-being of residents over the profits of the real estate industry.

Read full report: https://www.levernews.com/the-architects-of-l-a-s-wildfire-devastation/amp/