Forest thinning projects won’t stop the worst wildfires. So why is California spending millions on them?
Saying the $32 million in projects were vital “to protect the lives and property of Californians” Newsom swept aside environmental reviews and competitive bidding requirements to speed the work. But the state’s recent fire chronicles are riddled with examples of how such fuel break projects don’t guard against the wind-driven infernos that have laid waste to communities the length of California.