Is it worth it to develop an area susceptible to wildfires?

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Podcasts Take Two

Jul 19, 2013

Listen • 3:59

Is it worth it to develop an area susceptible to wildfires?

For the people who call mountainous areas like Idyllwild home, some might ask why stay in a place susceptible to dangers like wildfires?

Liquified metal from a burned-out BMW car next to destroyed home is shown after the Mountian Fire scorched the area on July 18, 2013 near Idyllwild, California. The massive wildfire in Riverside county has grown to 23,000 acres and is advancing towards the mountain town of Idyllwild on one front and city of Palm Springs on the other front destroying several homs and forcing the evacuation of 6,000 people.

For the people who call mountainous areas like Idyllwild home, some might ask why stay in a place susceptible to dangers like wildfires?

For all of the beauty and peace you get most of the time, there are moments of danger like the Mountain Fire. How can land management officials keep up with the demand to protect developments from fires?

Julie Hutchinson, battalion chief at CAL Fire, joins the show to explain how her organization works to make mountain living as safe as possible