New state maps confirm fire hazards – a pressed democrat editorial

Cal Fire carries out new danger cards, which show much more of the risk of a forest fire than before. You need homeowners, developers and places to change your security and prepare yourself to spend more for living space.

In nationwide, 1.4 million ACRES were newly determined in categories of higher fire. Local maps published last week show far more region with high risk. In the non -legal Sonoma County, the old card showed only 11 hectares as a “very high” danger. The new balloons up to 7,555. In the meantime, 9,149 Acres are at risk. A similar risk inflation took place throughout the region, from Marin County to the Oregon border.

The revisions were for a long time. The previous cards come more than a decade. The climate change made her out of date.

Described fire hazard zones have more restrictions for developers and homeowners. For example, new rules that require 5-foot buffer zones in relation to houses apply in very high danger zones. Use building new and converted masts with an EMBER-resistant materials. Both the state and the places should determine more security requirements if you edit the cards.

Homeowners would be advisable to move the curve and harden their houses as much as possible. The next fire season is just around the corner.

Local governments should consider these new names as a good opportunity to rethink the development and how close it should be. SONOMA COUNTY Updates his general plan, so the new cards are in time.

Many residents were already concerned about fire risks and possible evacuations associated with the development of the campus of the Sonoma Developmental Center and other locations near Glen Ellen. In Santa Rosa there are similar concerns about the plans for the development of the Old Sutter Hospital location in the Chanate Road. Perhaps these projects can still go on, but the city and the district have now have to take new evidence into account.

The Hazard names do not mean that the development will last. Far from it. Even Governor Gavin Newsom wants more living space in some fire hazards.

Last week, Newsoma announced that developers would offer 23 state free land for affordable apartments. One of them borders on the southeastern corner of Napa, a 5 hectare area of ​​the Ministry for State Hospitals compared to the Napa County Office of Education. The new fire cards describe it as high danger.

One of the challenges in the safe building in areas is costs. Homeowners in North Bay know this after receiving the additional costs for the construction of new fire -resistant houses or hardening after the latest forest fires. Increased building and landscape costs lead to inflation pressure on all housing costs. It is far from the only driver of expensive apartments in the state, but it is another participant. Good luck to keep housing in high danger areas affordable.

Nevertheless, it was necessary to draw the cards again to determine the fire risk, since the state's experiences with the running fire in recent years. Better faced the challenge and deal with the costs than buying the developers blindly and buyers in ignorance, only until one day, in the middle of the ashes who have lost everything.

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