Letters: A nuanced approach to fire safety is best

"The EMBER plan promotes, among other recommendations, that all vegetation within 5 feet of the house be removed. Trees and plants near and around homes provide shade and insulation, keeping homes cooler. Cooler homes reduce the need for air conditioning, which is a contributor to greenhouse gases that contribute to conditions for extreme wildfires. What about a flammability scale for plants? Succulents have high water content and burn less readily than juniper, for example."

"I had polio in 1954, when I was 15 months old, the year before there was a polio vaccine. I was in an iron lung for about the first 24 hours. Imagine what that was like for my parents, in their late 20s, seeing their baby infant's head sticking out from this machine that breathed for me. I was lucky; my lungs recovered, but paralysis affected my right leg."

One letter critiques the EMBER plan’s recommendation to remove all vegetation within five feet of homes as simplistic and one-size-fits-all. Trees and plants near homes provide shade and insulation, lowering cooling needs and reducing air-conditioning-related greenhouse gas emissions. A plant flammability scale is suggested, noting succulents burn less readily than juniper. Vegetation removal also destroys habitats for beneficial insects and pollinators. A thoughtful, nuanced approach may require more time but better supports community and environmental health. A second letter recounts a 1954 polio infection, iron lung use, long-term paralysis, and argues vaccines protect community health and prevent disease resurgence.

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