Christopher Flavelle

These LA fires are folding into a bigger conversation in the U.S. about whether some communities are just too hard to protect against climate shocks. And you're right, until now, the climate shocks that prompt that conversation have mostly been rising seas, repetitive flooding, and storm surge. But these fires might become a turning point. They might raise the question of,

These LA fires are folding into a bigger conversation in the U.S. about whether some communities are just too hard to protect against climate shocks. And you're right, until now, the climate shocks that prompt that conversation have mostly been rising seas, repetitive flooding, and storm surge. But these fires might become a turning point. They might raise the question of,

are some communities too exposed to fires to have a reasonable expectation that we can protect people who live there. Obviously, we're not talking about emptying out all of LA. That's insane and you wouldn't want to, but there may be some neighborhoods around LA

are some communities too exposed to fires to have a reasonable expectation that we can protect people who live there. Obviously, we're not talking about emptying out all of LA. That's insane and you wouldn't want to, but there may be some neighborhoods around LA

where because of the topography or something else that the risk is so high, experts look at them and say, boy, we probably shouldn't have built homes there in the first place. And people might start to ask, maybe it doesn't make sense to build back there. And it's important to note, even if the changes...

where because of the topography or something else that the risk is so high, experts look at them and say, boy, we probably shouldn't have built homes there in the first place. And people might start to ask, maybe it doesn't make sense to build back there. And it's important to note, even if the changes...

only affected some small sliver at the edge of LA, at the edge of the forest, it would change all of LA. Those people have to live somewhere, right? So you'd really have to pair pulling back from a handful of high risk areas with probably building more density in the downtown, in places that are easier to protect.

only affected some small sliver at the edge of LA, at the edge of the forest, it would change all of LA. Those people have to live somewhere, right? So you'd really have to pair pulling back from a handful of high risk areas with probably building more density in the downtown, in places that are easier to protect.

So the transformation that that would entail would be really significant for all of LA. And it's a hard conversation. There's no, no guarantee it's going to happen, but it's the kind of thing that I think people are more likely to start talking about because these fires were so bad.

So the transformation that that would entail would be really significant for all of LA. And it's a hard conversation. There's no, no guarantee it's going to happen, but it's the kind of thing that I think people are more likely to start talking about because these fires were so bad.

Yeah. And look, I've covered these conversations for a long time. Anytime you're talking about changing a community deliberately because of growing threats, it's really hard. You'll get many homeowners who just say, no, I want to rebuild exactly the way it was. My life has been turned upside down enough. I don't want anyone talking about maybe I should leave. But others will say, oh, why?

Yeah. And look, I've covered these conversations for a long time. Anytime you're talking about changing a community deliberately because of growing threats, it's really hard. You'll get many homeowners who just say, no, I want to rebuild exactly the way it was. My life has been turned upside down enough. I don't want anyone talking about maybe I should leave. But others will say, oh, why?

what we just lived through was terrible. I'm not sure I want to do it again, right? Then there's the question of, is it even fair to put future homeowners in that situation where, as we now know, fires can emerge almost out of nowhere in January that cause disastrous scale damage.

what we just lived through was terrible. I'm not sure I want to do it again, right? Then there's the question of, is it even fair to put future homeowners in that situation where, as we now know, fires can emerge almost out of nowhere in January that cause disastrous scale damage.

Fires like this open the door to talking about maybe the change that's going to happen anyway at this fire should include some sort of calculated decisions around are there places that you can't protect.

Fires like this open the door to talking about maybe the change that's going to happen anyway at this fire should include some sort of calculated decisions around are there places that you can't protect.

Yeah, it's almost too hard to ask, right? But the last week of fires show that you have to at least think about it. Because fires like this demand that you at least try to be honest with yourself and your neighbors and your voters about the kind of risk we're taking on when we build or rebuild in places that we know are inherently dangerous and getting more dangerous.

Yeah, it's almost too hard to ask, right? But the last week of fires show that you have to at least think about it. Because fires like this demand that you at least try to be honest with yourself and your neighbors and your voters about the kind of risk we're taking on when we build or rebuild in places that we know are inherently dangerous and getting more dangerous.

In some of those really high-risk places, maybe we can't keep pretending that we can save every house if it's facing a fire, which is a terrifying thing to admit. And it's a huge shift in attitude because this country wants to say that we're ready and prepared to protect homes, to have firefighters come to the rescue. But as we've seen from Los Angeles, sometimes there's still nothing safe.

In some of those really high-risk places, maybe we can't keep pretending that we can save every house if it's facing a fire, which is a terrifying thing to admit. And it's a huge shift in attitude because this country wants to say that we're ready and prepared to protect homes, to have firefighters come to the rescue. But as we've seen from Los Angeles, sometimes there's still nothing safe.