Giving Compass' Take:

• As wildfires like Camp and Tubbs blaze with greater intensity and frequency, CityLab discusses ways cities in California can help keep their citizens safe.

• Among the main obstacles discussed: local politics and jurisdiction. In what ways can the nonprofit sector collaborate with policymakers in this area to develop the most urgently-needed solutions?

• Here's why the worst is yet to come for California’s wildfires.

As wildfires claim lives once again in California ... a familiar aftermath is unfolding. Grappling with the instant loss of their homes and ways of life, Californians will start returning to the charred remains of their houses and towns, many mourning loved ones lost to the infernos ...

In the face of these destructive fires, city and state leaders in California are grappling with how to protect their residents, particularly when so many of the land-use regulations required to mitigate fire risks are often met with hostility from homeowners, subject to local control, and hampered by local politics.

Susan Wengraf is a council member in the City of Berkeley, representing a district that makes up the northern hills of the city. In 1991, the Tunnel Fire roared through the Oakland hills nearby, fueled by highly flammable eucalyptus trees. It killed 25 people and destroyed 3,000 homes, and is one of the deadliest fires in state history. The Berkeley and Oakland hills have been considered part of the wildland–urban interface for years, and have seen the devastating results of fire.

But their communities are poorly designed to mitigate fire risks. For example, the small, winding roads in Berkeley’s hills, often crowded on both sides by parked cars, leave little room for large emergency vehicles to maneuver. If a fire does break out up there, firefighters may not be able to get to it before it grows considerably.

Read the full article about preventing wildfires in California by Karim Doumar at CityLab.