Lessons Two and Three From the California Fires

In this three part series, resiliency expert Dave Hampton examines the recent California fires for lessons on preparing for the increasing number of disasters anticipated in connection with a warming global climate. In the first part, also summarized in Planetizen, Hampton discussed the difference between "attribution" and "contribution" when discussing the role of climate change in natural disasters.

In the second part, Hampton notes that use of the term "wildfires" is distracting. The "wildland-urban interface" (or WUI) must be the focus of preparation and prevention efforts. WUI “refers to the zone of transition between unoccupied land and human development. Communities that are within 0.5 miles (0.80 km) of the zone may also be included.” (Citing Radeloff et al. (2005))

In the third part, Hampton discusses key concepts from the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC). He then goes on to discuss some recent failures due, in part, to outdated models and maps, and the need to be proactive in developing new fire and flood maps and codes. For more details, read the source article.