CA Op-Ed: Sierra Club California: Fire Policies Needed
Fighting Fire with ... Policy?
Published on Jun 14, 2008 - 9:32:29 AM

By: Sierra Club California

June 14, 2008 - Windy, dry weather whipped the fire season into an apparent early start – and finds firefighters heroically battling blazes all over California.

While Sierra Club California empathizes with the fire victims, we see this time of tragic loss as a chance to take a second look at how Californians can protect themselves for the future. Sierra Club California-supported bills would help homeowners and communities protect themselves from fire and prevent damage to homes and property.

"People need to take steps to make their homes as fire-safe as they can," said Paul Mason, deputy director of Sierra Club California. "We can't ever get to zero-risk, but there are lots of things that homeowners can do to reduce their risk of loss."

For example, Senate Bills 1617 and 1595 (Kehoe) and AB 2859 (Gaines) would help homeowners to create defensible space by reducing potential fuels on their property and at the borders of their communities, and encourage the use of building materials and landscaping that resist fire. Under the terms of SB 1617, homeowners in areas protected by state firefighters also would pay a fee to fund fire prevention.

It's not just up to the homeowner, of course. That's why Sierra Club California supports Assembly Bill 2447 (Jones) and Senate Bill 1500 (Kehoe), both of which strengthen community planning measures that protect against fire. Both bills would limit development in areas where there isn't adequate fire protection.

Building in fire-prone wild land areas actually increases fire risk, because humans accidentally and purposefully set fires, and because firefighters must work harder to protect homes and buildings, according to an analysis by the Legislative Analyst's Office. Since 1997, California's annual fire protection costs rose from $408 million to over $1 billion, the LAO found.

"Smart building and planning can be our first line of defense against dangerous, costly wildfire," said Mason. "It's the strongest protection we can provide for California's families and our state's heroic firefighters."

Senate Bills 1595 and 1617 will be heard June 16 in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. SB 1500, AB 2447 and AB 2859 await hearings in the Assembly and Senate.

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