Opinion: Congressional Fix Our Forests Act' would worsen wildfire threat in California

"As the Eaton and Palisades fires devastated the communities of Altadena and Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles County in January, the nation watched in horror. Driven by extremely dry air and wind gusts over 80 mph, the fires were unstoppable, forcing firefighters to focus on helping people to evacuate as houses and businesses burned around them. By the time it was over, the fires had destroyed over 10,000 homes and killed at least 31 people."

"While smoke hung in the air in Los Angeles, some politicians and political commentators were already stridently proclaiming that these fires prove we need more intensive forest management to stop such blazes and protect communities. People were mourning, and confused, and much was still unknown about the circumstances of the fires. Many, in shock, were looking for easy answers. Congress responded by passing the Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 471) through the House on Jan. 23 while the fires still burned."

"After the smoke cleared, and people had an opportunity to take a closer look at the facts surrounding the fires, and a closer look at the legislation, a very different picture emerged. Neither of the Los Angeles fires was a forest fire. The fires burned through grass and shrubs, not forests. The homes were not destroyed by walls of flames but, rather, by firebrands, blown for miles by fierce winds, showering down by the millions like an ember rain."

The Eaton and Palisades fires were driven by extremely dry air and wind gusts over 80 mph, prompting evacuations as homes and businesses burned. The blazes destroyed over 10,000 homes and killed at least 31 people. The fires burned through grass and shrubs, and homes were ignited mainly by firebrands carried miles by fierce winds rather than by sustained forest flames. Initial political responses emphasized intensified forest management, and Congress passed the Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 471) during the fires. The act lacked provisions for home hardening, defensible space, or evacuation assistance and prioritized logging on public lands without limits on trees cut.

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