Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass are promising a speedy rebuild of thousands of homes in LA following weeks of devastating wildfires. But reconstructing could put home buyers in danger. Experts say that there could be another wildfire and they will try to make homes more safe for the future.

They say that spacing homes farther apart will help with the wildfires and not on hills because fire travels uphill faster. Planting more native species on public land will reduce the risk of wildfires spreading. The city of Malibu banned the planting of palm trees in 2020 because of their tendency to start a fire so easily. They say you should use concrete or gravel for a walkway instead of mulch.

Some of these strategies are already mandated by California’s fire code, which went into effect in 2008. For the most part, burned homes will likely be constructed to the newer codes. Newsom has already proposed $2.5 billion in funding for recovery efforts. Some experts are wondering if homes should even be rebuilt in the Palisades at all.