Simply great news to read of acquisition of additional goat herds (one of the great ideas this town has adopted) to reduce our joint exposure to prevent catastrophes. But, is it enough? Our homeowners insurance has sky-rocketed, if available, and underwriters know how to protect the company’s bottom line…but not ours. We need more and fast! Climate change and over-abundant plant growth with occasional rain.
Why can this city not do more and now and fast? We must demand the county immediately engage in cutting back and creating safe space from the unbelievable size and depth of the re-born green space fire-enabling foliage, which is almost totally uncontrolled, needing large swaths cleared back from Canyon Road and fire/hiking/biking trails for defensible fire zones, and, among other things, demand and negotiate from a point of advantage ASAP with the utilities on Canyon Road, now that they are aware of and susceptible to their clear damage exposure (and we have had at least two large fires in the last three years needing air assist to stop), to demand they underground at their expense ASAP the power and other lines completely capable of inflagrating this town and enabling another Paradise, with limited means of ingress/egress/escape. Utilities did an insanely small partial underground at Big Bend when they should/could have done the entire length of the Canyon Road at same time.
City management must be imaginative and aggressively do the full job now when we have the absolute need and power of the moment and demand that the utilities underground at their expense to end the tremendous exposure they have created and foisted upon us. While the new plans relating to increased protections are a starting point (without re-fighting the undergrounding costs defeated earlier). Times have changed and we must move forward with force, dedication and imagination! Get moving when the getting is good and momentum is on our side!
Byron Nelson, Laguna Beach
