California Considers Banning Plants Within 5 Feet Of Homes

This is the same California that does a piss poor job of clearing brush, filling reservoirs, and inspecting infrastructure, which is often the start of fires. Oh, and all the homeless who start fires

California plan to ban most plants within 5 feet of homes for wildfire safety overlooks some important truths about flammability

One of the most striking patterns in the aftermath of many urban fires is how much unburned green vegetation remains amid the wreckage of burned neighborhoods.

In some cases, a row of shrubs may be all that separates a surviving house from one that burned just a few feet away.

As scientists who study how vegetation ignites and burns, we recognize that well-maintained plants and trees can actually help protect homes from wind-blown embers and slow the spread of fire in some cases. So, we are concerned about new wildfire protection regulations being developed by the state of California that would prohibit almost all plants and other combustible material within 5 feet of homes, an area known as “Zone 0.”

Wildfire safety guidelines have long encouraged homeowners to avoid having flammable materials next to their homes. But the state’s plan for an “ember-resistant zone,” being expedited under an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom, goes further by also prohibiting grass, shrubs and many trees in that area.

The article goes through a long discussion of how plants next to homes can help reduce the chances of a home burning

The Zone 0 regulations California’s State Board of Forestry is developing are part of broader efforts to reduce fire risk around homes and communities. They would apply in regions considered at high risk of wildfires or defended by CAL FIRE, the state’s firefighting agency.

Many of the latest Zone 0 recommendations, such as prohibiting mulch and attached fences made of materials that can burn, stem from large-scale tests conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. These features can be systematically analyzed.

Instead of banning plants (I’m sure the state will pay inspectors some good money to go around and fine homeowners) and fences and such, how about doing the things that can actually prevent wildfires? Or, would that make too much sense in the People’s Republik Of California?

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