To the editor: In Might 2022, some residents of Laguna Niguel misplaced their properties within the Coastal fireplace, which began in Aliso Canyon. It was as if that they had witnessed a rerun of the L.A. Fireplace Division’s movie in regards to the 1961 Bel-Air fireplace, “Design for Catastrophe,” cited in Jenny Jarvie’s wonderful article.
I first noticed that movie within the early Nineteen Seventies at an Orange County Planning Fee listening to, the place improvement was being thought of for the ridgetops south of Aliso Canyon. A firefighter veteran of the Bel-Air inferno confirmed the movie and pleaded with the fee to not approve improvement on the ridgetops.
He mentioned this was probably the most harmful place to place properties and warned of the “chimney impact,” the place fires burning up slopes improve in top and hazard.
His warning was ignored. Ridgetop improvement was authorised.
Regardless of the promised 100-foot irrigated setback, the homes have been constructed out to the sting. Thinning the vegetation on the slopes would supposedly scale back the hearth hazard, but it surely didn’t forestall losses from the Coastal fireplace. Even a fireplace entry highway under the properties made no distinction. The chimney impact pushed flying embers into the air, setting homes alongside the sting ablaze.
Builders made some huge cash from having extra heaps to promote with higher views. The consumers, unaware of the warnings and voided protections, relied on the federal government to approve protected constructing websites. The owners paid a horrible worth.
Political compromises with fireplace realities have proved tragic time after time.
Ann Christoph, Laguna Seashore
The author is a panorama architect and former mayor of Laguna Seashore.
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To the editor: Like they did in Santa Rosa after their disastrous wind-driven fireplace in 2017, you possibly can rebuild with non-flammable residence supplies and succulents. However driving via Bel-Air and Brentwood just lately — and it’s the identical in lots of areas in SoCal — I seen a plethora of palm, eucalyptus and pine timber that have been useless or emaciated close to properties.
With local weather change rising the chance of wind-driven fires, what’s the resolution to avert an nearly sure catastrophe?
It’s an unimaginable, unrealistic aim to easily take away all of those timber. Merely having clearance round these properties shouldn’t be sufficient when there’s a wind-driven fireplace storm.
I want I had a easy reply.
John Szabo, Newport Seashore
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To the editor: Please remind me why anybody thinks it’s a good suggestion to encourage and promote the constructing of accent dwelling items on properties in hillsides and canyons.
In my humble opinion, much less density, no more, is what we want in these areas.
Emily Loughran, Los Angeles
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To the editor: What number of instances have we heard that there’s a homelessness drawback that may be solved by constructing extra properties?
We’re advised that the issue is so acute that we have to fast-track the allowing course of. Do away with these pesky environmental experiences, ignore fireplace laws and get these properties constructed!
It’s not a “failure to be taught.” Reasonably, it’s political expediency fueled by greed (or is it the opposite means round?).
Gregg Ferry, Carlsbad
