Readers respond to Question of the Week:

Ban palm trees in fight against wildfires?

Save the palm trees

The idea of eliminating palm trees to deter future fires is futile. What’s next? Pines? Eucalyptus? We will be left with nothing but a barren wasteland. How about keeping the palm trees trimmed regularly to eliminate the dead fronds? Spend money to keep the brush clear from neighborhoods. Save the palm trees!

— Gerard Dacut, Santa Ana

Palm and eucalyptus trees

You ask about palm trees being a fire hazard. You forgot about eucalyptus trees, which are probably worse. Many have been planted close to buildings. They can also topple over because of shallow roots, and their roots can spread a hundred feet damaging nearby foundations, plumbing etc.

Flammable trees should not be allowed close to buildings. Building codes need to be revised to that effect.

And insurance companies may refuse to insure properties with potential fire hazards like palm and eucalyptus trees.

— Richard M. Vogel, Laguna Woods

Wildfire prevention

In light of the recent L.A. wildfires, it’s time to make some tough decisions about how to prevent them in the future. I think one effective reasonable action would be to do what the Question of the Week suggests, namely trim back trees and foliage.

But then the question becomes, who decides which trees? Some might argue more government regulations, fire safety codes or expert assessments.

But my idea would be to let neighbors decide.

After all, who better to judge the fire risk of a tree than the people forced to stare at it every day.

I mean, we’ve got trees in our neighborhood that drop leaves like they’re being paid for it. And think of the emotional relief when we can say, “ Hey, maybe that giant dusty eucalyptus tree that looks like it’s auditioning for kindling should go.”

And, yes, there’s a risk that petty grievances may get in the way. But is the government any better?

In conclusion, while government regulations have their place, nothing beats the efficiency of neighbors with opinions.

— David Ward, Anaheim