you could stop building houses in canyons that cannot help but become fire traps. Because simply pruning the weeds ain't gonna stop a wall of fire that's being pushed by 60 mile an hour winds.

I realize it's un-American to tell people they can't develop every square inch of land on the whole friggin' continent, but it's just something to consider.

Exactly, as to the un American part, I think the real issue is how american is it to subsidize insurance for fire prone areas? personally I think if you have property you should be allowed to do with it what you want as long as it doesn't damage others real property. I don't think subsidizing this with government insurance regulations and government disaster relief is the same thing. And before anyone says anything, I have lived in California and now live in a hurricane, and flood, prone part of the gulf coast, and I think the flood insurance program, and more at issue disaster relief money for those to cheap to buy it, is very similar.