Check out Professor Andrew Fricker's newest work regarding urban trees and structure loss here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866726002104.
New research analyzing two destructive Southern California fires in 2025 finds that building density is the dominant factor driving home loss during fast-moving urban wildfires. Using detailed fire damage and land cover data from Altadena and Pacific Palisades, scientists found that each additional structure per hectare significantly increased the likelihood of loss, while the effects of nearby vegetation and urban canopy were relatively small and inconsistent. The findings challenge common assumptions about wildfire risk reduction, suggesting that urban planning and housing patterns may play a far greater role than vegetation removal, thus policies targeting tree loss should be approached with caution.
