FLR

A lot of people are hating on “woke” governments right now (& I understand—I’m no fan of Californian democrats) but failing to do what’s necessary to prevent fires is certainly not limited to woke politicians. Controlled burning of bushes/forests is what prevents catastrophic bushfires/wildfires. But governments often avoid doing them due to air quality concerns. To do controlled burning in LA would cover the entire city in a blanket of smoke. (I live in an area in Sydney which is often covered in smoke due to back burning before summer—it’s not pleasant and residents always complain.) The hesitation to do what needs to be done crosses ideological lines—it’s rare to find governments who will sacrifice public comfort for long term concerns, and politicians who do often get voted out. I get that it’s easy to blame wokeness in this situation, but you’ll find governments that are not woke doing the exact same thing. The issue is lack of long term planning & courage to do things which voters don’t like.