Wildfires will put even more pressure on the country’s housing crisis

The Park Fire, a wildfire in Northern California spanning over 370,000 acres, has rapidly become the fifth largest in the state’s history, prompting evacuations in four counties. The fire, which officials say was started by arson, has grown in the past week as the western US eyes what could be another potent wildfire season. A combination of strong vegetation growth due to heavy precipitation over the past few years, and high temperatures this summer could mean larger wildfires in the coming months. These conditions all contributed to the magnitude of the Park Fire, which has already damaged more than 100 structures, and put at least 8,000 people under evacuation orders. For another sense of scale, the fire has grown so large that it’s visible from space and now covers more square footage than the entire city of Los Angeles. The Park Fire follows numerous other large fires that have devastated the US in recent years, including in Hawaii in 2023, California in 2021, and Montana in 2017. It’s the latest disaster to highlight how deeply fires can impact communities across the US and the urgent need for better policies to help navigate potential displacement. In 2023, 2.5 million Americans had to leave their home either temporarily or permanently due to a natural disaster, according to the US Census Bureau, and the agency’s current estimates suggest at least 500,000 more have been displaced so far this year. Vulnerable groups including low-income households, people over the age of 65, and Black and Hispanic Americans, are among those more likely to be displaced as a result of these phenomena. The effects of the Park Fire and those of a growing number of natural disasters, some of which are tied to climate change, highlight the urgent need for more federal support for recovery and how these incidents exacerbate existing housing crises. How evacuations work Those required to evacuate during the Park Fire, and others like it, are forced to seek shelter with friends or family, at a hotel, or at an evacuation center that’s been set up by the affected counties. Typically, evacuations are led by the affected county or city, which is responsible for notifying residents as the situation becomes more urgent. Evacuation orders can come at any time, including in the middle of the night. Law enforcement officials are usually in charge of notifying people and alerting neighborhoods, and can use cars and sirens. They also provide updates via television, radio, and social media. Many counties have text-based emergency alert systems that residents can sign up for to get mobile updates about a disaster. Those living in areas with high wildfire risk are often urged to have an evacuation plan ready, including a go-bag with essentials like water and a flashlight, charged devices, and fuel in their cars. Those who are able to leave on their own in their vehicles are encouraged to do so quickly in the case of an evacuation order and to get out of the areas affected by the fires as shown in maps that the counties release. Counties may also designate assembly points for people to congregate if they’re unable to leave on their own or if roads are obstructed. Officials then coordinate emergency routes that people can use, along with transportation to shelters. Depending on how long it will take to contain and address the fire, evacuees could be in limbo for days to weeks, unsure about the status of their homes. That’s a stressful and devastating feeling for many who are waiting to hear if their homes have survived the disaster. Once the imminent danger has passed and the fire has been contained, officials assess when it’s safe for people to return, says Tom Cova, a professor of geography at the University of Utah who has studied wildfire evacuation systems. That includes screening the area for toxins left by the fire and other hazards like downed power lines and propane tanks. If it’s deemed safe, people may be cleared to return to the area and assess the potential damage, or they may only be allowed to drive back, viewing their homes from their cars, due to the health risks from residual smoke and debris. Those whose homes are destroyed and who are permanently displaced by the disaster face a far lengthier and much more complicated journey to rebuilding or moving. Insurance could help offset some of those costs, though some former evacuees in Maui have noted that such funds were only sufficient to cover rent temporarily. In certain areas where there’s high wildfire risk, homeowner’s insurance may not cover wildfires because of how costly these disasters have become for these companies, which puts the onus of rebuilding on the owners. In addition to construction, families also face the expense of securing alternative housing while they wait during a process that can take months to years. Disasters highlight gaps in aid and housing Disasters like the Park Fire underscore the gaps that currently exist in federal aid for recovery and the housing shortages that were already a challenge. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the central distributor of rebuilding grant assistance that people can apply for, but these programs can have stringent requirements — including specific thresholds for damage — that not everyone meets. People who are able to get insurance funds may also be precluded from receiving some of this aid. Often, the aid that’s provided isn’t sufficient to address the full cost of rebuilding. According to a 2020 report from the Government Accountability Office, the average amount of aid that individuals received from FEMA between 2010-2019 was $3,522. States like California do fill in some of the gaps by offering benefits like debris removal services at no cost to homeowners, and agencies including the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development also have loan programs for rebuilding. By and large, though, the assistance that’s required is greater than what’s available and can put those who lose their homes in an economically vulnerable position. “The help Americans receive after disasters isn’t just inadequate, it’s complicated to navigate and painfully slow to arrive,” writes Samantha Montano, an emergency management professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, for the New York Times. “From the amount of time it takes to complete recovery — measured in years, not months — to the labyrinth of policies, regulations, false promises and lawsuits, the reward for surviving a disaster is being forced into a system so cruel it constitutes a second disaster.” The solution, Montano argues, is to bolster resources for FEMA, which faced a funding shortage in 2023, and for states to develop better recovery plans that include boosts to their budgets and dedicated management. Many of these challenges are evidenced by the response to the Lahaina wildfires in Maui. Families who were displaced by those fires were still navigating provisional housing roughly six months out from that disaster. Another issue that these disasters draw attention to is the housing challenges that people were already facing in places that are hit by them. A 2018 fire in Paradise, California, for example, decimated roughly 14,000 homes and made a housing shortage in the region even worse. In Plumas County, one of the four counties hit by the Park Fire, there’s similarly already a shortage of affordable homes for low-income households. Any additional damage from the Park Fire could well deepen those gaps.