By Dakota Morlan, assistant editor

It’s delightfully verdant in the outskirts of the Capital Region, with abundant grasses and wildflowers nurtured by a generous rainy season now carpeting the foothills. But as Californians, we know too well that when the grass turns, the worries of a new fire season will be upon us.  

That worry is especially real for those who occupy the wildland-urban interface (zones where wilderness meets developed land) and greatly amplified by the fact that securing affordable home insurance has become virtually impossible in these areas of California due to wary carriers, as this week’s featured story covers in depth.

Insurance loss is a side effect of the root issue, which is catastrophic wildfires threatening people and their properties en masse. There are several factors likely contributing to the increased threat of wildfires, including climate change, lapse in forest management and population growth in formerly rural areas. As developers continue to build homes in WUI zones, an increasing number of people will move into the line of fire. 

If you’re one of these people, maintaining your property to insurance carriers’ standards is a nonnegotiable in holding onto your insurance and protecting your home in the event of a wildfire. While you may love that tree growing by your bedroom window, removing it may mean the difference between insurance coverage and crisis. It’s a dismal choice, but don’t forget to stop and smell those lovely wildflowers before mowing.

Here’s the rest of the Capital Region Rundown: Get the full scoop on the Oakland A’s move to Sacramento following last week’s bombshell announcement; in other baseball news, fans in Sacramento had the rare opportunity to watch the Giants play the River Cats in an exhibition matchup ahead of the 2024 season; a new exhibit at the Sacramento History Museum explores the role of women in tattoo culture; and learn how to evade these common scams when making your next hire.

Recommendations from our staff: 

Judy: I attended the Dragon Boat Festival on Lake Natoma last weekend. It was fun to watch community groups, churches and nonprofits compete against each other in the long, sleek dragon boats as a benefit for Powerhouse Ministries in Folsom, which helps lift people out of addiction, abuse and poverty. I was lucky to witness the original, authentic Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong when I had a journalism fellowship to Asia. Dragon boat races originated in China and date back more than one thousand years. 

Jennifer: Right now I’m reading the book “Split Tooth” by Tanya Tagaq, an Inuk writer and throat singer who has collaborated with Björk and many other artists. A combination of memoir, fiction and poetry, it depicts Inuit life in Nunavut with equal parts stark realism and wonder. 

Dakota: Fellow gluten-free folks: I was recently able to enjoy some of the classic Chinese food flavors I’ve missed at Hidden Dumpling House in Midtown (there’s also a location in Elk Grove). They offer GF versions of sweet and sour chicken, chow fun, pan-fried dumplings and more. They also have vegetarian options. I was impressed by their efforts to avoid cross-contamination, and everything was delicious. 

Odds and Ends

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