There’s A Fireproof House In LA? (And Other Headlines)

My colleague Jacob Margolis discovered something while reporting for his wildfire podcast, The Big Burn. It was a house that, quite literally, separated itself from any of the other vulnerable homes in fire-prone Topanga Canyon. A place seemingly tucked into the hillside — into a mountain of dirt to shield itself from the potential hazard of wildfire.

A unique way to fireproof a house

We dug (pardon the pun) further into the design of this house, which features a reinforced concrete shell f and crafted by a Hollywood stuntman with a massive list of credits to his name. Construction of the house took years, but as you’ll read, it’s already led to favorable results.

Catch the rest of Jacob’s piece about this fireproof “dome home” in the hills.

How To LA

We’re here to help curious Angelenos connect with others, discover the new, navigate the confusing, and even drive some change along the way.

Listen Now

More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

• SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, says it’s looking over the “‘final” offer from studios after months of striking.
• Slowly but surely, Sriracha is making its way back to us.
• This alarming story from Grist details how lawn-care equipment contributes quite a bit to air pollution.
• A program in Long Beach offers free produce and equipment for corner stores there. 
• Videotapes of the trial that led to the striking down of Proposition 8 — which banned gay marriage — have been finally unsealed.
• Death Valley isn’t a place where one expects to see a lake. But lo and behold, there’s one sitting there. How’d that happen?

Wait... one more thing

Buena Park and 'hallyu'

A Korean-language anti-vaping electronic billboard in Buena Park.

(

Noé Montes

/

LAist

)

The Korean Wave has reached Buena Park.

A section of Beach Boulevard that stretches from Orangethorpe Avenue to Rosecrans Avenue was recently dubbed the second “Koreatown” of Orange County. Councilmember Joyce Ahn, a 17-year resident of the city, was the one who led the efforts to make that happen.

My colleague Yusra Farzan details some of the history behind Buena Park’s shift into a vibrant Korean pop culture zone. You can check out her story here.