In November 2018, the Camp Fire, the most devastating wildfire in California's history, was quickly spreading through the Sierra Nevada foothills. The town of 26,000 residents was destroyed in less than four hours, with schools, businesses, and 11,000 homes reduced to ashes. Despite initially thinking the evacuation order was a false alarm, Singer fled his home as flames approached, managing to escape the town just in time. Paradise was completely destroyed. Eighty-five individuals lost their lives, and over 90% of the population was forced to leave. Two years later, approximately 4,000 residents have come back to start anew and take their chances once more on the devastated land. Singer is one of those who have returned, but now he is reconsidering his decision. In this area covered in chaparral for many years, it has been customary to rebuild after a fire. However, as California faces a severe climate crisis with record-breaking temperatures and devastating wildfires amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the rebuilding process is taking on a different form. The state has been dealing with both crises simultaneously, with over 4.2 million acres scorched by nearly 10,000 fires by the end of 2020. Northern California has been particularly hard hit by multiple megafires, while Southern California, specifically Los Angeles, has become the epicenter of the pandemic, leading the nation in both confirmed cases and deaths. Amid a historic housing shortage and low interest rates, home prices in California have reached record highs. The median cost of a single-family home in the state surpassed $700,000 in August and continued to rise in September. Despite the increasing cost of new homes, many homeowners are facing even higher expenses for rebuilding after fires. Home rebuilds are decreasing statewide due to contractor shortages, rental market pressures, and a worsening climate crisis. California, still struggling with an affordable housing crisis, has seen a decline in new construction permits over the past two years following a steady rebound from the 2008 recession. The number of new home construction permits in 2018 was 120,000, but dropped to 110,000 in 2019. A home in Malibu, California was destroyed in a wildfire on December 30, 2020, highlighting the impact of the state's climate crisis. The rebuilding process is changing as a result. The California Industry Research Board is expected to release its 2020 construction and permit numbers in February, but estimates that only 103,670 housing units were issued last year. The state with the largest population is facing a severe climate crisis, with soaring temperatures and devastating wildfires. The rebuilding process is now taking on a new perspective, as more homeowners are opting to start fresh rather than rebuild in the aftermath of fires. Tracking permits for fire-related losses is challenging, as wildfires often affect multiple areas. The decrease in rebuilding projects statewide, paired with the rise in fires, indicates a noticeable shift in homeowner decisions. This trend raises the question of a crucial aspect in the rebuilding process. The shortage of contractors in the state is causing delays for homeowners looking to rebuild after disasters like the Camp Fire. Despite expectations of an increase in permits after such events, there has not been a significant rise. Many insurance companies offer large payouts, but contractors are often booked for long periods, leaving homeowners frustrated. However, in areas where the land holds high value, such as Malibu after the Woolsey Fire, rebuilds are progressing steadily. The whole city was emptied, and 650 of its expensive houses, including those owned by Miley Cyrus, Gerard Butler, and Robin Thicke, were destroyed. However, today more than one-third of those houses have permits to be rebuilt, while in Paradise, the number is just over 10%. Michael Nourmand, president of the Los Angeles real estate firm Nourmand & Associates, compared rebuilding after a fire to someone getting a shark bite but still returning to surf. Despite the challenges, most people in LA are planning to rebuild, as memories are short in the city. Rebuilding is easier for those with the financial means, as California has strict fire-safe building codes in place since 2008. These codes require reinforced roofs, walls that can withstand high temperatures, and landscaping that is not prone to catching fire easily. In 2011, the state mandated that all single-family homes must have sprinkler systems installed. This requirement can add $20,000 or more to the costs for homeowners rebuilding a home constructed before 2008. Those who decide to rebuild may have to rent while waiting, further straining an already tight housing market. Consequently, California's most vulnerable residents are impacted as evidenced by a 16% increase in homelessness in 2019, with over 150,000 residents now experiencing homelessness. Due to the impact of COVID-19, it is anticipated that those figures will increase. James Ryan, president of Time for Homes, a nonprofit organization focused on eradicating chronic homelessness, explained that when numerous homes are destroyed, individuals are forced to relocate, causing rental prices to rise. Consequently, affordable housing becomes scarcer and housing insecurity worsens. Governor Gavin Newsom's eviction moratorium, designed to safeguard tenants facing financial difficulties during the pandemic, will come to an end on February 1st. However, despite the moratorium, some reports indicate that evictions have been on the rise during the pandemic. According to Ryan, there are always individuals who slip through the cracks and are forced to leave their homes. This has led to an increased demand for housing, with more people searching for fewer available homes. As a result, there has been a population shift towards California's rural areas. For example, in El Dorado County, sales increased by 28% in 2020, in contrast to a slight decline in Sacramento. However, the Inland Empire, which includes Riverside and San Bernardino counties, is experiencing the fastest population growth in California. Unlike other major metropolitan areas in the state such as San Diego, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, the Inland Empire has been largely unaffected by devastating wildfires in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to an increase in people moving to more rural areas. In November, the median home prices in Riverside County and San Bernardino County were significantly lower than in Orange County and Los Angeles County. Job opportunities in the Inland Empire are also abundant, making it an attractive choice for families affected by wildfires who are considering relocating. It is also difficult to determine the exact reason for the movement of people towards areas like the Inland Empire, Joshua Tree, and Palm Springs. It is unclear whether this is primarily due to fleeing fire risk or seeking more affordable housing. This trend has been observed since around 2010. However, not everyone can afford to move away from fire risk, especially in a state with a severe housing shortage. Since the Camp Fire, Singer and his wife, Shannon, have been residing in a rented apartment in Chico, located about 20 miles away, as they deal with the challenges of rebuilding their home such as insurance, zoning, construction, and planning. They have also established a nonprofit organization called Paradise Stronger, using their expertise in fitness coaching to provide mental health support to residents struggling with trauma from the disaster. Initially, they were committed to participating in Paradise's comprehensive recovery plan to reconstruct the entire city, complete with additional parks and green spaces, fire-safe landscaping, and enhanced evacuation routes and warning systems. However, the 2020 fire season introduced new terrifying terms like "megafires" and "hot drought." Strong winds, leading to precautionary power outages, have become a common occurrence. In October, the Singers found themselves evacuating their property once again, as a fire approached and had already caused significant damage. Singer, 43, explained that the first area to be evacuated this time was right where their home would have been. The smoke was thick and all they could see was smoke, causing Singer to experience PTSD. His wife had reached her limit and expressed doubts about rebuilding and staying in the same location. Singer recalled her saying, "I'm not sure I want to rebuild. I'm not sure this is where I want to be anymore." He says he is willing to stay in the town and be a part of its vision, but not if it means sacrificing his marriage. Currently, the couple has postponed their plans to rebuild. If they decide to proceed, they are expecting to spend $100,000 of their own money on a smaller, fire-resistant home on the same property, with an estimated total cost of $250,000. They were given $145,000 for the building that was destroyed in the fire, but like many American households, they found out too late that their insurance coverage was insufficient. In response to insurers abandoning high-risk areas, some new developments are implementing resilience measures to protect against wildfires. For example, Rancho Mission Viejo in Southern California is a large new community being developed with plans to preserve 75% of its 23,000 acres of open space. Fire resilience is a fundamental aspect of the construction in the community, which has implemented numerous wildfire resistance strategies even before they were mandated by state and local regulations. A recent report by the Urban Land Institute highlighted the community, along with the town of Paradise, as a model for other wildfire-affected areas to follow in terms of rebuilding. In Rancho Mission Viejo, each neighborhood is surrounded by a 110-foot-wide fuel modification zone where flammable vegetation has been replaced with fire-resistant plants, with certain plant species being prohibited. Additionally, construction materials are noncombustible, and automatic fire sprinklers have been required in every home long before it became a law in California in 2011. The additional cost of fire-safe modifications during construction has become minimal. Initially, these modifications were adding between $4,000 and $10,000 to the cost of each home, but now they can be as low as $1,000. Jay Bullock, the vice president for planning and entitlement at Rancho Mission Viejo, explained that these methods are now more common and affordable. Mike Balsamo, the senior vice president for governmental relations at Rancho Mission Viejo, emphasized the importance of building safely in high fire hazard zones for a sustainable future in a state where livable space is limited. He mentioned that there is a strategy in place for this purpose. "We have the ability to establish a community that is as safe from fires as possible." © 2020 New York Times News Service.