L.A. Wildfires: Rebuilding for a Hotter, Drier Future - Boiling Point

Summary

Boiling Point Podcast Summary: "L.A. Wildfires: Rebuilding for a Hotter, Drier Future"

Release Date: January 16, 2025
Host: Sammy Roth, Climate Columnist, Los Angeles Times
Guest: Kelly Sanders, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "L.A. Wildfires: Rebuilding for a Hotter, Drier Future," host Sammy Roth engages in a deep conversation with Kelly Sanders, a renowned expert in civil and environmental engineering. The discussion centers on the escalating wildfire crisis in Los Angeles County, exploring the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change and the urgent need for sustainable rebuilding strategies.

Current Wildfire Crisis in Los Angeles

The episode opens with a stark portrayal of the ongoing wildfire situation in Los Angeles County. As of the recording, over 40,000 acres have been scorched by half a dozen wildfires, leading to the destruction of more than 12,000 homes and buildings, and claiming at least 25 lives. The economic toll exceeds $50 billion, underscoring the severity of the disaster.

Notable Quote:
"More than 40,000 acres have burned in half a dozen wildfires across LA County. More than 12,000 homes and other buildings have been destroyed."
— Sami Roth (00:21)

Climate Change and Wildfire Amplification

Sammy Roth and Kelly Sanders delve into how climate change exacerbates wildfire conditions. Sanders explains that prolonged droughts, intensified by global warming, have dried out vegetation, providing ample fuel for fires. The pattern of "wetter" and "drier" years has become more extreme, with the current lack of rain contributing to the severity of the fires.

Notable Quote:
"The longer we keep burning coal, oil, and natural gas, the worse it is going to get."
— Sami Roth (03:30)

Rebuilding Strategies and Building Codes

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on rebuilding in fire-prone areas. Sanders emphasizes the importance of integrating fire mitigation into construction practices. She points out that despite recurrent wildfires, rebuilding often fails to incorporate improved building codes that could make structures more fire-resistant.

Notable Quote:
"The houses that abide by better building codes tend to burn less than houses that were built earlier. So that's good news. We know it works."
— Kelly Sanders (11:09)

Balancing Housing Needs and Fire Safety

Addressing the tension between California's housing shortage and the necessity of building safer homes, Sanders advocates for high-efficiency, dense housing within urban centers. This approach aims to reduce sprawl into wildfire-prone areas while optimizing land use and resource distribution.

Notable Quote:
"We need high efficient density housing. So we need to build higher, we need to build more dense and we need to make sure the stuff that we build is really, really energy efficient."
— Kelly Sanders (21:56)

Water Management Challenges

The conversation shifts to the critical issue of water management in firefighting efforts. Los Angeles' reliance on importing 90% of its water poses significant challenges in maintaining adequate water pressure for firefighting. Sanders highlights the city's efforts to enhance water recycling and advocate for more sustainable water use practices.

Notable Quote:
"Nearly 90% of all of our water is imported from very distant places. So that creates a really challenging water management situation."
— Kelly Sanders (16:49)

Energy Infrastructure and Wildfire Risk

The episode explores the relationship between energy infrastructure and wildfire risks. Sanders discusses the debate between constructing long-distance high-voltage transmission lines versus promoting local renewable energy solutions. She underscores the necessity of a balanced approach that incorporates advanced technologies to mitigate fire risks associated with power lines.

Notable Quote:
"There's a lot of balancing act that we keep coming down to. If electricity rates go up too high, people aren't going to electrify, or we're not going to have money to invest in other parts of the system to decarbonize."
— Kelly Sanders (26:46)

Long-Term Resilience and Policy Recommendations

In concluding the discussion, Sanders urges for a comprehensive, systems-thinking approach to urban planning and climate resilience. She advocates for policies that not only address immediate firefighting capabilities but also focus on long-term sustainability through water recycling, energy efficiency, and strategic urban development.

Notable Quote:
"We really have to think about how do you create a city that can be resilient to wildfires at the same time that you're decarbonizing that system."
— Kelly Sanders (30:26)

Conclusion

The episode of Boiling Point serves as a compelling call to action, highlighting the intricate interplay between climate change, urban development, and wildfire management in Los Angeles. Through insightful dialogue with Kelly Sanders, Sammy Roth underscores the urgent need for integrated strategies that balance immediate disaster response with sustainable, long-term planning to safeguard communities against the escalating threats of wildfires.

Key Takeaways:

Climate Change Intensifies Wildfires: Prolonged droughts and extreme weather patterns, driven by global warming, are creating ideal conditions for devastating wildfires.
Rebuilding with Resilience: Incorporating fire-resistant building materials and updated building codes is essential for safer rebuilding in affected areas.
Water Management is Critical: Enhancing local water recycling and reducing reliance on imported water can improve firefighting capabilities and overall sustainability.
Balanced Energy Solutions: A combination of large-scale renewable energy projects and local energy solutions can mitigate wildfire risks while advancing towards a zero-carbon future.
Integrated Urban Planning: High-density, energy-efficient housing within urban centers can reduce sprawl into wildfire-prone areas and contribute to climate resilience.

For those interested in the intersection of climate change and urban resilience, this episode offers invaluable insights and actionable strategies to address one of California's most pressing environmental challenges.

Transcript

Kelly Sanders (0:01)

This is an LA Times Studios podcast.

Sami Roth (0:08)

Los Angeles is my home. I grew up right here. Going to Dodgers games, sitting in Traffic on the 405, hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains, reading the LA Times. When I started writing about climate change, I knew this place was vulnerable. I knew about sea level rise and heat waves and droughts. I knew about wildfires. I knew they were all getting worse. Still, the climate crisis somehow felt distant. Deep down, it felt like something that was happening somewhere else to someone else. This month, it doesn't feel so distant anymore.

Kelly Sanders (0:45)

This morning we woke up to a dark cloud over all of Los Angeles.

Sami Roth (0:54)

We've got fires throughout the entire county. These fires are stretching the capacity of.

Kelly Sanders (1:00)

Emergency services to their maximum limits.

Sami Roth (1:03)

Fire literally jumping roads, taking out structures.

Kelly Sanders (1:07)

If you're told to evacuate, then get the hell out.

Sami Roth (1:10)

You are not going to outrun these fires.

Kelly Sanders (1:12)

It is difficult to process the immensity of the destruction and loss.

Sami Roth (1:21)

As of this recording, More than 40,000 acres have burned in half a dozen wildfires across LA County. More than 12,000 homes and other buildings have been destroyed. At least 25 people are dead. Early estimates put the damages and economic losses at more than $50 billion. Climate change didn't ignite the fires, but scientists say there's no question it's helped make them so devastating. My name is Sami Roth and I'm the climate columnist for the Los Angeles Times. I've been reporting on climate change for 10 years with a focus on clean energy solutions. We'll be talking about solutions today, but before we do, it's important to understand how exactly climate change is making these fires worse. Fortunately, it's pretty straightforward. The last few months we've had basically zero rain in Southern California, but the two winters before this one were wet. That means the mountains and hillsides still have a lot of grass and brush. Ideal kindling for wildfires. Especially now that it's all dried out. California has always experienced these wet, dry cycles. But global warming is making this weather whiplash more intense. Carbon emissions from fossil fuels are trapping more heat. This allows the atmosphere to absorb and release more water. As a result, floods and droughts are becoming more extreme. The longer we keep burning coal, oil and natural gas, the worse it is going to get. The good thing is we're making progress on clean energy. In 2023, California got almost 60% of its electricity from solar, wind, nuclear, hydropower and other low carbon sources. About 25% of new passenger cars being sold in California these days are fully electric or plug in hybrids. The thing is, we have to move faster. And it's not going to be easy. Fossil fuels are incredibly dangerous. But that doesn't mean clean energy is perfect. If companies build big solar or wind farms in the wrong spots, those projects can destroy wildlife habitat. And if we tried to shut down every fossil fueled power plant and oil refinery tomorrow, modern life would grind to a halt. We've got to be careful. We've got to move urgently, but also deliberately. And just as importantly, we have to come to grips with the fact that climate change is here no matter how fast we move on. Clean Energy 2024 was the hottest year on record. Again, wildfires like LA's experiencing, experiencing right now, they're not once in a generation anymore. Same thing with storms like Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. We need to start changing the way we live or we're going to be in even bigger trouble. That means thinking about how we rebuild and how we keep the lights on and how we interact with the natural world in Southern California and everywhere else. Does it make sense to keep putting homes in places that are more and more likely to burn? How much are we willing to spend to bury electric lines to make sure they don't spark fires? If that's going to cost billions of dollars and lead to higher electric bills, how do we make sure we have enough water not just for humans, but also for plants and fish and other wildlife? And what happens to our cities and our rural communities and our natural world if we can't make any of it work? These are hard questions and on this podcast we're going to ask them. Every week on Boiling Point, I'll have a different guest, an expert to guide us through the climate and energy and environmental challenges facing California and the American West. Thank you for joining us this week. Our guest is Kelly Sanders. She's a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering. She just finished a year long stint advising the Biden White House on clean energy policy. I sat down with Kelly at her office on the USC campus. The fires were raging. We had a lot to talk about. Kelly Sanders, welcome to the Boiling Point podcast.