Many residents of Napa Valley are continuing to recover from the October wildfires. These horrific fires killed people and animals, devastated homes and gardens, and left the ridges above our valley scarred and bare. Thanks are due to the first responders for all that survived. My neighbors, friends and I are just beginning to imagine a different, healed and beautiful landscape with new and repaired homes.
I find myself wondering why some homes survived and others did not. Outbuildings, garages and studios burned to the ground, but some of the nearby houses survived.
How did some landscapes remain untouched or minimally damaged? A friend told me that her house was untouched by the flames, but her front yard burned to the concrete porch where the fire stopped.
Why is this possible? How can we prevent this tragedy from happening again? What do research and personal experience tell us about designing our future landscape?
A wildfire requires a source of ignition. Once ignited, it needs fuel to spread. The gusting winds in early October contributed to the rapid spread of three fires in our area. Despite the wind and the moving flames, some areas survived. Why?
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