Letters to the Editor: The myths, invasive plants and homeowner associations fueling fires

To the editor: Manjula Martin’s excellent observations on the absolute failure of fire suppression policy in California hit home for me. We had a major conflagration in 2022 that destroyed about 20 homes in the space of two hours, overwhelming local and county firefighting resources.

Hillsides near my home, many of which are owned by homeowner associations (HOAs), are covered in dried-out, invasive black mustard, which any amateur fire ecologist knows is a wildfire accelerant.

Yet, the danger is treated by local authorities as a seasonal fire issue, with zero accountability for these HOA fiefdoms and the unsupported myth that a 100-foot “barrier” around a structure will somehow serve to protect you from catastrophe.

It won’t, and we will learn that expensive lesson again when the next wildfire occurs, accelerated not by our native plants, but by invasive ones that explode and overwhelm conventional firefighting techniques — and melt those HOA “no trespassing” signs dotting the hillsides.

Michael J. Harley, Laguna Niguel