Of the 28 Governor proclaimed disasters in Los Angeles County that were due to natural disasters since 1991, 12 were due to fire-related causes. Fire is clearly one of the biggest disaster risks that the county faces. This section will go into greater detail about wildfires in California.
Many areas of Los Angeles have experienced repeated burning in recent decades. The below map, prepared by disaster modeling company Risk Management Solutions, maps wildfires that burned more than 5,000 acres from 1970 to present.
Source: Curbed Los Angeles
According to the LA County website, the Woolsey Fire was the, “most destructive fire L.A. County has ever seen.” It burned nearly 150 square miles in 13 days before it was contained. While this type of event may seem like a tragic anomaly, fires have been increasing in both frequency and magnitude in California. A recent congressional report found that the average number of acres burned in the West has nearly doubled since the 1990s.
Source: NASA Earth Observatory
While the dominant strategy of fire suppression over fire management has undoubtedly caused overgrowth that has led to an increase in wildfires, the rapid development of these areas is also to blame. According to Cal Fire, the amount of ‘defensible space’ between homes and the surrounding wilderness is the most important factor in preventing them from being burned down. As homes encroach on the wildlife-urban interface, they are exposed to greater fire risk. According to the ACS, the number of housing units in Malibu City, which was greatly impacted by the Woolsey Fire, increased from about 11% from 6,656 in 2007 to 7,448 in 2017.
As climate change causes longer and more intense drought periods which can fuel wildfires, Los Angeles and the nation as a whole must be prepared to confront this issue with proactive planning solutions in the near future.
Sources:
http://www.readyforwildfire.org/Defensible-Space/
https://la.curbed.com/2019/1/22/18184154/california-wildfire-map-risk-insurance
https://www.lacounty.gov/lacountyrecovers/
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IF10244.pdf
American Community Survey Table B25001