There is a non-linear relationship between the age structure of vegetation and the intensity of fires. Fifty-year-old trees burn fifty times more intensely than twenty-year-old trees. However, because of the power of influential residents living in the Malibu region, since 1919 the local policy has been one of ‘total fire suppression’. This means t

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As a former California resident, I watched Santa Anna winds (aka Sundowner winds) sweep down from the desert and blow out to sea. 100 km per hour winds, 5% humidity, 35 degree C temperatures (the temperature goes UP after sundown via compression), and all it takes is a spark on the mountain ridge road. In Santa Barbara, I watched electrical transfo... See more