By Busra Nur Cakmak
Los Angeles County’s fire chief is endorsing programs that train residents to defend their homes during wildfires, marking a shift from the long-standing directive to evacuate immediately.
“We’ve departed from that narrative,” Chief Anthony Marrone told CBS News Tuesday. “With the proper preparation, you can stay behind and prevent your house from burning down.”
Marrone said with training, equipment and defensible space, some residents can safely remain behind to protect property.
The change comes after the January Palisades Fire in California, US, when residents armed with garden hoses and buckets saved homes while firefighters were overwhelmed.
“There are not enough firefighters or fire engines to adequately defend every structure -- and there never will be,” he said.
To address that gap, the county has launched community brigades, giving residents wildfire defense training. Participants learn to chase down embers, use equipment effectively and coordinate with neighbors.
Fire officials stress the approach is not for everyone, particularly those with health issues or without an escape route.
Marrone said intensifying wildfires demand new strategies as traditional evacuation-only policies prove insufficient.
“We’re losing thousands of structures in impossible firefights,” he said. “Something’s changing, and we need to change with it.”