During KPCC interview, UCLA’s Sean Hecht says that wildfire legislation likely not enough to reduce fire risk in California
October 9, 2019During an interview on KPCC’s Take Two, Sean Hecht, co-executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the UCLA School of Law, discussed the implications of California’s new wildfire prevention legislation championed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
In early October, Governor Gavin Newsom signed 22 wildfire-related laws to strengthen the state’s mitigation, preparedness and response efforts. The laws were created after the devastating impacts of previous wildfire seasons, and cover issues such as regulating the state’s utility companies and assisting homeowners in retrofitting their homes. Hecht emphasized that each of the laws is likely to have a positive impact and will help keep Californians safer, but given the state’s changing climate conditions, it is unlikely that they will be enough to reduce fire risk.
Listen to Hecht’s interview at the 01:16 mark.