How Cities Can Prepare for Wildfires: Rethinking Urban Sprawl and Building Fire Resilience

As Los Angeles begins recovering from last month’s devastating wildfires, it is also thinking about how to avoid similar catastrophes in the future. But building a fire-resilient city is no easy task. 

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The recent Los Angeles wildfires have claimed 29 lives and burnt across more than 23,000 acres, destroying as many as 18,000 structures. According to some estimates, they could be the costliest fire event in US history.

While LA is no stranger to wildfires, the recent events exemplify what scientists have been warning for years: climate change is making fires longer, more frequent and more devastating than ever before. Rising temperatures, exceptional drought conditions, and intensified climate phenomena like the Santa Ana winds, which have fanned the flames in LA, exacerbate wildfires. 

All over the world, climate change is contributing to hotter and drier conditions. A 2023 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity due to these conditions. Climate-exacerbated wildfires result in loss and tragedy, as well as in high costs and damages. They upend the normal rhythm of life and, as seen in Los Angeles, can even spark misinformation and fear-mongering.

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A Retreat From the Firebelt Is in Order

As reconstruction begins, one question remains: how can the city prevent this from happening again? 

Part of the problem lies in the city’s sprawling development into the firebelt – dry, fire-prone landscapes that are unsuitable for habitation but have received planning permits over the years. The combination of extreme weather, timber-framed buildings, and explosive fuels such as cars and dry gardens creates ideal conditions for fires to spread rapidly.

For decades, LA has focused on fire suppression. However, the Eaton and Palisades wildfires suggest the need to shift strategy – retreating from the firebelt instead of rebuilding in these high-risk areas. Insurance companies have increasingly been hesitant to cover properties in the firebelt, signaling the unsustainability of rebuilding.

But moving away from the firebelt requires political will, public support, and significant infrastructure adaptation to support denser urban housing. Resistance from established communities is likely, and social equity concerns must be addressed.

Incentives are key, as are small-scale pilot programs to understand the feasibility of mass reallocation projects and the consequences of increased population density. Offering financial incentives to developers that build denser, more sustainable housing, and partnering with environmental organizations and community groups could facilitate implementation. 

The example of the flood-prone city of San Antonio, where the city brought homeowners out of the floodplains, could serve as inspiration. Although California’s real estate prices are higher, the principle is the same: allocate city funds to buy out homeowners in danger zones, prioritizing safety and sustainability.

From Firebelt to Green Belt

According to the Greenbelt Alliance, an organization from the San Francisco Bay Area that advocates for more green areas across California, green belts are one of the best ways to protect cities from wildfires. In addition, they increase wildfire resilience, serve as strategic locations for wildfire defense, conserve biodiversity, and provide valuable recreational green spaces. 

The organisation identifies four different types of green belts: 

• Open space, parks, and preserves, which act as natural wildfire buffers for communities.
• Agricultural lands, which serve as a natural fuel break and can shield neighbouring homes and communities. These are also types of lands that can and do burn.
• Greenbelt buffer zones, strategically placed buffer zones with fire-resistant landscaping within neighbourhoods that can stop home-to-home ignition and provide refuge. 
• Recreational greenways, which include playing fields or bike and walking paths in and around communities that, if placed strategically, contain water and moisture and can thereby slow or prevent wildfires. 

California’s wildfire history shows these approaches work. During the 2019 Kincade Fire, Windsor suffered minimal damage thanks to its land-use policies that prioritized open spaces. Similarly, the 2020 Glass Fire in Santa Rosa proved that hiking and biking trails serve as effective wildfire buffers, protecting vulnerable communities.

Implementing green belts requires substantial investment in land acquisition, maintenance, and relocation efforts. However, public-private partnerships could ease the financial burden. For LA, this shift represents an opportunity to halt urban sprawl and embrace denser, greener, and safer development.

Sustainable Adaptation Is Urgently Needed

The 2025 wildfires highlight the urgent need for sustainable adaptation to withstand such disasters. In LA, retreating from the firebelt and replacing it with green belts could save lives and property. While reducing wildfire frequency through climate action will take time, these measures offer immediate protection and a more resilient future.