San Diego Would Put 40,000 People in Fire-hazard Areas
In the midst of the deadliest fire season ever in California, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors is approving or considering the approval of nine housing developments that would add 40,000 new residents in chaparral and grasslands naturally prone to fire, a Center analysis found.
The proposed and recently approved developments, including Newland Sierra and the Otay Ranch Villages, will put 15,000 homes where fires have historically burned. Even state agencies like Cal Fire have deemed these areas a high fire threat to people.
"Building thousands of homes in naturally fire-dependent ecosystems is not the way to address San Diego County's housing problems," said the Center's Tiffany Yap. "It's unacceptable for county supervisors to let developers knowingly put people in harm's way."
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