[sio8ohPi]

Townhouses with no intervening space would likely be an improvement. Browse Altadena in streetview and you'll see loads of houses with vegetation -- tinder -- stacked between them. Getting rid of those intervening spaces entirely would reduce the surface area exposed to embers while simultaneously depriving homeowners the temptation to store fuel in unwise places.

[BlueTemplar]

Didn't that vegetation actually end up less flammable than the houses ? (Or was that just cherry picking by journalists ?)

[idle_zealot]

It totally depends on the type of vegetation. Some species, at least while alive, retain water and resist burning, acting as natural fire stops. Other species, including many imported to the area for aesthetic purposes, act as dry tinder.