I appreciate Sarah Hydenâs letter (âDo the right thing,â Letters to the Editor, Dec. 5) about wildfire, but I disagree with one aspect. Fireproofing (metal roofing, masonry construction, even fire-resistant paint and glass) is essential. Fireproof landscapes, however, are an oxymoron. Clearance (replacing fire-adapted vegetation with âfire-resistantâ irrigated plants) increases water use, yet also increases drought and fire risk.
Clear 100 feet around a âstandardâ 2000-square-foot home, and widen a quarter-mile driveway to 20 feet. Youâve removed 97,600 square feet, or 2¼ acres per house. Santa Fe County sees 2,800 new homes annually: thatâs 6,300 acres clearance.
Fires of normal intensities do play an ecological role. However, intense crown fires are not normal. Caused by overgrowth and neglect, they throw firebrands a half-mile ahead of the main blaze and have jumped 10-lane freeways. A 1-foot bare-soil fireline will stop a ground fire, while no amount of clearance can stop a crown fire. Fire-adapted ecosystems should be zoned to require architectural fireproofing. Such restrictions are politically unpopular; clearing massive amounts of vegetation looks impressive but fails as fireproofing, and it contributes negatively to climate change.