In the American West, wildfire comes for the suburbs

This summer's wildfires are showing how much danger has moved into suburban neighborhoods. In Reno, Nevada, the Hawk Fire broke out in the Somersett neighborhood and spread more than 23 miles in days, pushing 90,000 people to evacuate and destroying dozens of houses. Weeks earlier, another fire burned 150 square miles nearby. Similar fires have recently hit suburban Spokane, Washington, and the areas around Los Angeles.

The common thread is what researchers call the wildland-urban interface, or WUI — places where homes sit right up against forest, grassland, or shrubland. More than a third of homes in the continental U.S. now fall into this category, and a recent study found that this kind of development, combined with climate change, has quadrupled the risk of destructive wildfire in California. Low winter snowfall and long heat waves made this year's fires worse. Homes in these areas often have only one road out, and evacuations can turn into dangerous traffic jams as fires close in.

There are things that measurably improve a house's odds. Some states, including California, now require homeowners in fire-prone areas to clear vegetation close to their homes, which experts say boosts survival chances. Building materials and techniques that keep embers from getting inside a house matter too — one fire official noted that many homes actually burn from the inside out once embers get in, not just from direct flame contact. If you live near open land in a dry, fire-prone region, it may be worth checking what your state or local fire district requires or offers help with.