Many fire-prone California towns don’t plan for evacuations

Question

Many fire-prone California towns don’t plan for evacuations

Counterintuitive as it may sound, Paradise has some of the strongest evacuation planning in California. In fact, a USA TODAY Network-California survey of communities at high risk from wildfires found only 22% (including Paradise) have a robust, publicly available evacuation plan.
The scale of disaster in the Camp Fire was unprecedented, but the scene of people fleeing wildfires was familiar, repeated numerous times over the past three years up and down California from Redding and Paradise to Santa Rosa, Ventura, and Malibu.
In many of those communities, motorists became stuck in traffic as officials tried to evacuate thousands onto a few roads leading away from the flames.
NO REQUIREMENT TO PLAN
The 85 deaths and nearly 19,000 buildings destroyed in Paradise’s Camp Fire made it the deadliest and most destructive blaze in California history. Eight of those who perished were found in their vehicles, with two others found outside their vehicles.
In some spots, burned-out and abandoned vehicles lined roads leading out of town.

Should cities be required to have detailed evacuation plans? In 3–5 sentences, answer the question and provide specific textual evidence to support your analysis.

Answer 1

Yes, cities should be required to have detailed evacuation plans, especially in fire-prone areas like California. The evidence from the USA TODAY Network-California survey shows that only 22% of high-risk communities have robust, publicly available evacuation plans. This lack of planning leads to situations where motorists become stuck in traffic during evacuations, putting their lives at risk. The Camp Fire in Paradise, which resulted in 85 deaths and the destruction of nearly 19,000 buildings, highlighted the need for better evacuation plans as many people perished in their vehicles or were unable to escape the flames. Requiring detailed evacuation plans would ensure that cities are prepared to efficiently and effectively evacuate residents in the event of a fire or other disaster.