Why clearing brush around Los Angeles won’t reduce fire danger After thousands of homes were destroyed, many are looking for ways to make Los Angeles safer from wildfires.

A Santa Barbara County Fire Department hand crew spent much of Monday clearing brush in the Burton Mesa preserve, but there was something special about the work they were doing.

In fact, because of the local ecology, they say clearing vast swaths of native brush could actually make the landscape even more flammable. That's the opposite of what California's forests need.

In extreme conditions, no amount of brush clearance can guarantee protection. Indeed, too much clearing can in fact leave structures vulnerable, with nothing to slow down wind-driven embers.

T he hills above Los Angeles are covered with dense, dark green brush, a unique plant community known as chaparral. In the wake of the extreme wildfires that destroyed more than 12,000 homes and ...

The hills above Los Angeles are covered with dense, dark green brush, a unique plant community known as chaparral. In the wake of the extreme wildfires that destroyed more than 12,000 homes and ...

Destruction from the Palisades fire could have been tempered had officials cleared brush in wildland areas, which could have slowed its spread, some critics say Fire officials and others dispute ...

The City of San Diego fined a family $53,367 after a homeowner cleared away brush in a city-owned nature preserve. The family say it was done to reduce wildfire risks by creating defensible space.

Then, Urban Corps crews will clean and clear the area of invasive plant species and dead brush. Finally, Coopersmith said the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department will spray what’s left with a ...

The Palm Springs Fire Department kicked off its annual brush mitigation program Thursday morning, with crews beginning work to clear more than 100 acres of city-owned property to reduce wildfire ...

HAND CURATED. Opinion. Washington Post Opinions. When America was born. June 25, 2025. ... Clearing brush! Day after day, year after year, the most powerful man in the world cleared brush.