On January 4, Becky Nicolaides and some neighbors hosted a progressive dinner party to greet new families in their close-knit cul-de-sac. They enjoyed appetizers at one residence, the main meal at another, and finished with dessert at Nicolaides’ home.

Just a few days later, their homes were reduced to ashes by the Eaton Fire, which has consumed over 14,000 acres in Northeast Los Angeles.

Nicolaides, a historian and author of “The New Suburbia: How Diversity Transformed Suburban Life in Los Angeles after 1945,” acknowledged the risks of living in the foothills near Altadena. However, she was drawn to the area’s natural beauty, with majestic mountains and palm trees lining the streets.

“It was the essence of the setting,” Nicolaides fondly recalled. “The scenic nature was captivating, even though I always recognized the potential dangers.”

As wildfires rage on across Los Angeles County, discussions about rebuilding are already underway. In a region marked by soaring real estate prices, a struggling housing market, and constant threats from natural disasters like fires, earthquakes, and mudslides, the obstacles seem daunting.

Nicolaides shared with YSL News that her family is unlikely to return and reconstruct their former home.

The haunting memories of hurriedly stuffing their essentials into small suitcases while watching the flames nearing their house linger painfully. She felt emotional thinking about items she desperately grabbed, like a large bag of dog food, her work laptop, important documents, and reflecting on irreplaceable things she forgot to take, such as her wedding ring.

Having extensively studied suburban development, she sees the fires as a valuable lesson for urban planning.

“If we attempt to rebuild these homes as they were, is that really the best approach?” she pondered. “This might be an unforeseen chance to rebuild in a more thoughtful way.”

Reconstructing with a New Perspective

Frank Frievalt, director of the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Institute at California Polytechnic State University, has dedicated much of his career to emergency management and identifying strategies for creating fire-resistant communities.

The natural conditions that exacerbate California’s wildfires, including powerful Santa Ana winds, towering mountains adjacent to low valleys, and specific weather patterns, are unlikely to change soon, he noted. Climate change is expected to intensify the dry brush that fuels these fires.

However, this doesn’t imply that neighborhoods like the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, bordering natural areas ripe for wildfires, cannot be rebuilt.

Frievalt stressed the importance of avoiding “rebuilding in the same places and in the same manner.” He warned that resorting to previous practices would likely result in more destructive wildfires, suggesting that each community’s strategies should be customized to their unique circumstances.

He highlighted extensive building guidelines developed by a collaboration of organizations, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Cal Fire, and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, as a valuable resource for starting points.

These guidelines recommend removing all greenery within five feet of homes and replacing it with stone or decomposed granite. Additional suggestions include installing ember-resistant vents, using fire-retardant roofing, and constructing the initial six inches of exterior walls with noncombustible materials like brick.

Frievalt draws parallels between the initiative to enhance wildfire building standards and public health campaigns like COVID-19 vaccination drives, emphasizing the need for community-wide participation to effectively reduce wildfire risks.

“It’s essential for us to adapt to a hotter, drier environment,” Frievalt explained. “If we fail to do so, we put ourselves in danger.”

Financial Challenges in Sustainable Development

As Los Angeles County considers rebuilding entire neighborhoods lost to the fires, some in the housing sector argue for a more comprehensive planning approach to prevent future disasters.

Azeen Khanmalek, executive director of the nonprofit organization Abundant Housing LA, which promotes affordable housing, emphasizes the need for municipal governments to reassess low-density zoning laws that have pushed residents into high-risk wildland areas.

Approximately 72% of residential land in Los Angeles is designated for single-family homes, according to a 2022 study by the Other and Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.

Khanmalek proposed that constructing additional housing in low-density neighborhoods near job centers and public transport could alleviate the pressure on residents to live in areas more vulnerable to wildfires, advocating for the principle of “housing choice.”

Architect Geoffrey von Oeyen echoed the sentiment, arguing that strategies for fire mitigation should encompass building homes with superior, fire-resistant materials such as reinforced concrete or a 3D-printed mixture of concrete and earth.

“It’s crucial to explore ways to ensure that, even in suburban and urban spaces, we don’t construct properties that exacerbate fire hazards,” von Oeyen stated to YSL News.

The primary hurdle? Finances.

Los Angeles boasts one of the priciest housing markets in the nation, with the median home price hovering around $1 million as of December 2024, based on data from Realtor.com. The region is also grappling with a significant unhoused population, estimated at 75,000 as of June 2024.

Traditional stick-frame construction, built with wood frames supported by plywood and other materials, is often the most economical building technique. However, von Oeyen noted that this method isn’t the best option for fire safety.

“Homebuyers are seeking affordable options, which often leads them to choose the most economical construction methods,” he explained.

Both he and Khanmalek advocate for government incentives, like tax credits for solar installations, as well as funding initiatives to offset the costs of using superior materials in construction.

“To minimize both financial and human costs and to protect lives in the future, we must be willing to invest a bit more upfront in order to develop in a safer, more resilient way,” Khanmalek concluded. “Returning to the status quo is not an option.”