Report: California encourages rebuilding in fire-prone areas

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) California state and local officials are encouraging rebuilding in areas destroyed by wildfires at a time when people should be redirected away from those areas to prevent damage from increasingly destructive wildfires, according to a new report.

A study by the University of California, Berkeley Center for Community Innovation commissioned by Next 10, a nonpartisan think tank, found that state and local policies emphasize retrofitting existing homes, ensuring homes have fuel breaks and communities an evacuation plan.

Researchers say this encourages wildfire victims to rebuild in fire-prone areas. They said rebuilding is a missed opportunity to reduce wildfire risk, expand the supply of affordable housing and reduce emissions.

Recommendations for policy include identifying new revenue sources, preventing displacement by planning for disasters and incentivizing lower-risk development.

Read the full report below.