Rebuild or leave? Future uncertain for US communities in fire zones

Los Angeles (AFP) - Deadly blazes raging across the western United States have again destroyed thousands of homes nestled in forested areas this year -- with months of the fire season still to come in a region perilously exposed to climate change. With many insurers now refusing or charging exorbitant rates to cover at-risk houses, some homeowners are questioning what the future holds for their exhausted communities.Populations of settlements built on the forested margins of cities -- officially known as the wildland–urban interface (WUI) -- have exploded in recent decades, and now total some ...

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