One of California’s top elected officials on Monday announced steps to limit how housing and other developments can be built in areas that are at highest risk of wildfire, a move that follows a series of deadly, destructive blazes in recent years, but also comes amid the state’s persistent housing shortage.
At a news conference in San Diego County, state Attorney General Rob Bonta released guidelines for local governments to follow when they are deciding whether to approve subdivisions in the “wildland urban interface” — places where structures and other human development meet undeveloped lands and heighten wildfire risks.
Under Bonta’s guidelines, developers should not be allowed to build on steep slopes in such fire-prone areas, and that they should construct adequate water supplies there, cluster buildings near roads, and be required to use fire-resistant building materials beyond what state building codes require in the riskiest areas.
