WILDLAND FIRES AND PENNY CANDY-- WILL THE CALIFORNIA SENATE CONTINUE TO ALLOW LIVES TO BE ENDANGERED, WHEN SAFETY WOULD COST LESS THAN 5 CENTS PER PERSON?

Every year California is visited by fire, as surely as it is visited by Santa Ana winds, sundowners, and bone dry air. Some years bring terrible sadness, accompanied by tragic loss of life, and destruction of homes and communities.  The images we see each year of fire damage in California are compelling; a photo of a woman searching the charred rubble of her home for anything- a ring, a broken plate, or a remnant of a family photo album, some piece of her family's heritage, or, footage of horses being rounded up and coaxed into trailers to be taken out of harm's way.  

The economic costs of these fires are mind-boggling, in terms of what state and local governments must pay for fire suppression, and for community and infrastructure reconstruction post-fire, and for what insurers must pay, as well as costs born by individuals beyond that which is covered by insurance. Those who do not have insurance, which is an increasing problem as insurers drop coverage in high fire risk areas, are faced with bleak futures, compounding their sad losses from fire.

This year Assemblyman Dave Jones, Sacramento, introduced legislation addressing one the more substantial dangers associated with fires in California-- the increasing tendency of developments to be plunked down in dangerous fire areas, without assurance that local fire districts can make adequate response to fires in the new communities, which are often literally death traps, with only one exit serving hundreds, even thousands of homes. This bill, AB 2447, which was passed by the Assembly, seemed assured of passage in the Senate, as the terrible fires of last year, and of 2008's late spring and early summer should have underscored the perils of our present, "build it now, ask if it's fire-safe later" method of approving development in California. 

This commonsense bill, which would require verification that sufficient structural protection for all of the new lots was provided, and adequate egress was available before new construction in high fire areas was approved, however, stands in peril because the state's Department of Finance has decided to oppose the bill, as it might, according to them, cost around $1 million to implement the bill, and $500,000 for information technology support. This needed fire safety bill could die before it ever reaches a vote on the Senate floor, because some penny-pinchers in the Department of Finance don't understand that one and a half million dollars is miniscule, compared to the emotional and economic costs fires visit on California with increasing regularity.

One and a half million dollars-- put that amount up against what is spent putting out a single fire, or, when the fire's finally extinguished-- what it costs to rebuild homes and lives.  One and a half million dollars-- put that up against a single life lost, whether of a homeowner, or a firefighter, because more than one exit road to a new community wasn't built. 

Divide a million and a half dollars by the population of our very fire prone state-- it comes out to 4.2 cents per person- less then penny candy. Is the Department of Finance really concerned about $1.5 million dollars, or are they more concerned developers won't be able to cover our high fire risk areas with new development before they've assured adequate fire services are available, and necessary exit roads are in place for the people who will inhabit those developments? Is this bill really in danger of being buried for financial reasons, or is it it because big money interests are putting senseless development ahead of people's lives?

Our state will continue to grow, and we'll need new houses built-- we just need to make sure that when it comes to fire safety, common sense, and lives aren't sacrificed to line developers' pockets. AB 2447 brings a foundation of safety to help us build for a strong California future. Please tell the California Senate to bring this much needed fire safety measure to a vote on the floor, and to vote for common sense fire protection measures.  Call Senator Tom Torlakson, Appropriations Committee Chair, at 916-651-4007, or fax him at 916-445-2527, and urge him to support this bill.