"For right now, Zone 0 is "the most important tool that we can move quickly on to guard against ember-driven fires like we saw in Palisades and Altadena," Weiner said. The bill also provides funding to counties working to implement Zone 0. Up to 90% of homes destroyed in a wildfire burn down from embers finding their way inside the structure and burning it down from the inside. Relatively few homes burn down from coming into contact with a flaming front."
"Researchers from UC Berkeley estimate that 50% fewer homes would burn down in the extreme kind of conditions seen in the L.A. fires if neighborhoods hardened homes and had defensible space. Just complying with Zone 0 alone would reduce structure loss by an estimated 17%. With California spending billions on firefighting and homeowners bearing soaring insurance costs, advocates have argued that it's time to move beyond the traditional "business as usual" approach."
Zone 0 emphasizes hardening homes and creating immediate defensible space to guard against ember-driven fires. Ember intrusion causes up to 90% of home destruction in wildfires, whereas direct contact with a flaming front destroys relatively few homes. UC Berkeley researchers estimate neighborhood-wide home hardening and defensible space could halve home losses in extreme fire conditions; Zone 0 compliance alone could cut structure loss by about 17%. The bill funds counties implementing Zone 0 and mandates Cal Fire and the State Fire Marshal develop risk models to assess and track changing risk as safety projects proceed. Improved coordination among communities, utilities, and homeowners is emphasized amid rising firefighting and insurance costs.
Read at Kqed
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