Jamie Castiel in his backyard in Porter Ranch.
Photographer: Anastasia Samoylova for Bloomberg MarketsClimate Adaptation
California’s Housing Crunch Is Pushing Developers Deeper into Dangerous Fire Zones
Centennial, a new city with homes for 57,000, was designed as an anti-wildfire fortress. Ecologists say the development is at risk of burning.
The Santa Ana winds were blowing as Greg Medeiros ducked behind his Chevy Tahoe on a remote hillside 25 miles from the edge of Los Angeles’s sprawl. He gestured to the valley below, describing his vision of Centennial, the city he’ll build in the heart of wildfire country.
The project is critical to solving L.A.’s housing shortage, with homes planned for 57,000. Though the site is an area the state has deemed at high risk of wildfires, defense is built into the design, said Medeiros, vice president of the developer, Tejon Ranch Co.