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Global Wildfire Collective

Aerial view of the Hollywood Hills with the iconic white Hollywood sign on a hilltop, surrounded by winding trails, green hills, and a partly cloudy sky in Los Angeles, California.

Why clearing the brush around Los Angeles won’t reduce the wildfire danger

Picture of Jenna Sposato
Jenna Sposato

This article, written by Lauren Sommer from KUOW, features our charter member Alexandra Syphard, a senior scientist at the Conservation Biology Institute. She emphasizes the need for tailored management approaches, and warns that broad brush-clearing policies in Southern California can actually increase wildfire risk in ecosystems like chaparral – wildfire solutions must be ecosystem-specific to avoid doing more harm than good.

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