Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 6h

Yeah. I have a meeting in Reno on Thursday and a meeting in Fish Camp on Friday. The snow kind of blew up my driving plan.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 6h

Highway 120 through the Yosemite High Country closed with the storm the last few days. I love thinking about places like this under the snow with nobody around - one of the best things to do in winter.

Good summer times at Pothole Dome. A strong swimming recommend for those who haven’t been.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 11h

And by the way, my RA who is a seasonal USFS hotshot has spent quality time east of the Cascades this year. Not as if the place doesn’t burn.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 11h

Pre-event financing is so much better than post-event but so hard for even very smart people to wrap their heads around when it involves their household budget.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 11h

To me, this is a a great illustration of the challenge of charging people for risk that something may happen rather than for the cost of when it does. Would this person feel better if everybody in Eastern WA had to pay a higher sales tax after a wildfire in Eastern WA? Is that too big a geography?

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 11h

This person was either a senior public power executive or a board member of a public utility. I said that his premiums were much more likely to be going up because the insurers perception/estimate of risk of loss has changed for where he lives, likely due to better modeling. But he was adamant.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 11h

He said insurance in Eastern WA was hard to get but he was sure that his rate increase was due to the losses from CA. (He also mentioned his very green and well irrigated yard that would protect his house but that’s another thread)

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 11h

Just gave a talk at an American Public Power Association event about wildfire. Audience member from Eastern WA asked me how I felt about the fact that his home insurance bills were increasing because of the LA wildfires. My response was to ask him why he wasn’t looking for a different carrier.

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Reposted by Michael Wara

Danielle Venton @dventon.bsky.social · 1d

Update: On Saturday Governor Newsom issued a notification that he was vetoing SB 326 by Senator Josh Becker (D Menlo Park). In his veto message he said the required planning would cost too much money.

Danielle Venton @dventon.bsky.social · 4d

New from me: under-the-radar bill could be mst important piece of the wildfire bill package. Will @governor.ca.gov Newsom sign it? We'll know in days: www.kqed.org/science/1998... With thanks to those who spoke w/ me State Sen. @joshbecker.bsky.social, www.megafire.org & @michaelwara.bsky.social.

Will Newsom Sign California’s ‘Biggest Step’ Toward Saving Fire-Prone Neighborhoods? | KQED

A little-known bill will accelerate fire mitigation efforts by clearing space around housing across the state.

www.kqed.org

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Reposted by Michael Wara

Danielle Venton @dventon.bsky.social · 4d

New from me: under-the-radar bill could be mst important piece of the wildfire bill package. Will @governor.ca.gov Newsom sign it? We'll know in days: www.kqed.org/science/1998... With thanks to those who spoke w/ me State Sen. @joshbecker.bsky.social, www.megafire.org & @michaelwara.bsky.social.

Will Newsom Sign California’s ‘Biggest Step’ Toward Saving Fire-Prone Neighborhoods? | KQED

A little-known bill will accelerate fire mitigation efforts by clearing space around housing across the state.

www.kqed.org

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 4d

It looks as if Governor Newsom opted not to sign SB326: www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/10/g...

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 5d

Well said Steve!

Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 5d

One interesting thing for me about working in the wildfire space is how it is a blend of issue areas where there is true accountability for outcomes and those where there is not accountability and so symbolic and performative policy is allowed. Most issue areas I’ve worked on are one or the other.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 5d

Do you think that the next Dem Pres could wield executive (not regulatory) power in the way that Trump is being allowed to or would she be stopped? Bc we haven't really seen that - Biden tried to use the regulatory state and the Court objected (major questions). But that's not what is happening now.

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Reposted by Michael Wara

Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 6d

Inspired by this: please find my official apology regarding the cause of the 2025 LA wildfires.

I will try to do better in the future

#learning

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 6d

Late for kid pick up. Why? Because the highway onramp is closed due to subsidence plus SLR plus full moon, high tide,.Across the street from the on-ramp is a site where a five story affordable housing project has been approved to be built at grade. We totally have this climate adaptation thing down!

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 6d

A hill I will die on is that the Palisades Fire was not “caused” by the person who lit the Lachman Fire. It was caused by systematic failure to prepare landscapes and communities to receive fires that will inevitably occur in a fire prone region in which 25 million people live.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 6d

Officials Make an Arrest in Palisades Fire www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/u...

Officials Make an Arrest in Palisades Fire

www.nytimes.com

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 7d

Saul Zabar, Smoked Fish Czar of Upper West Side, Dies at 97 www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/d...

Saul Zabar, Smoked Fish Czar of Upper West Side, Dies at 97

www.nytimes.com

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 8d

The bullseye is the highway 49 corridor between Sonora and Grass Valley. Very little fire history. Tons of houses. But wine country too would be interesting because many (marginal) buyers are sensitized by tragedy.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 8d

We had a great study going on this that was blown up by Covid impacts on real estate market. Maybe we should pick it back up.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 8d

This is a good thing from a risk-based pricing perspective. But also so hard for people that are now paying $12k + difference in conditions. This is one of the true costs for Californians of wildfire.

Lawrence Vulis @lvulis.bsky.social · 8d

CA FAIR plan seeks 35.8% rate increase.

#climaterisk

www.latimes.com/business/sto...

California's home insurer of last resort seeks 36% rate hike following January fires

The California FAIR Plan Assn., which covers homeowners denied insurance, is seeking a 35.8% rate increase, though some policyholders could pay more or less depending on fire risk.

www.latimes.com

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 9d

Worth the trip.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 9d

The south end is the interesting bit for sure.

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 9d

I've always wanted to know what the bottom of Crowley Lake looks like. Is is Owens River Gorge 2.0? Is there other interesting geology down there?

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