California is years behind in implementing a 2020 law aiming to make it harder for homes to burn during a wildfire.
Pickup truck driver arrested after leaving scene of Blanding Blvd. crash that left motorcyclist in critical condition
FILE - The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. Most of the neighborhoods ravaged by the Palisades Fire are in areas that must follow state requirements to keep the immediate surroundings of their homes free of combustible materials and would be subject to the new rules because they are deemed at highest fire risk by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The latest measure creates a new “ember-resistant” zone, dubbed “zone zero,” that bars things like brush, wooden fencing, furniture, sheds and mulch within 5 feet of homes. The idea is to clear all materials that could catch fire from flying embers carried by winds and spread to the structure. State officials and researchers said embers are responsible for 90% of structures destroyed by wildfire.
“I’m hesitant to put a number factor on exactly how much greater survival rate we'll get,” she said. “But, you know, we have to do everything to push the equation.”
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