I think last year's Bay Area fires that blotted out the Sun for weeks have made a big impression on folks outside of the Bay Area (there's no doubt that Valley

I think last year's Bay Area fires that blotted out the Sun for weeks have made a big impression on folks outside of the Bay Area (there's no doubt that Valley residents also got a rude awakening from that). Fires are a regular feature of life every summer, in every populated point along the coast in CA. Last year's fires were truly an aberration in that they burned huge swathes of Santa Cruz, which sits in close proximity to the valley proper: it's just over the ridgeline of the mountains that form the western and southern edges of the Valley. In most years, the Valley barely sees any disruption from forest fires (although people who live on the periphery will disagree with me here). Last year's fires have definitely cast a shadow over what the future holds, particularly for folks who have chosen to live in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The biggest disadvantage for SC people was a mildly inconvenient and somewhat dangerous drive down Highway 17 for access to SV proper, versus the advantage of beach access and housing that was a shade more reasonable in its cost. That equation has now changed, perhaps irrevocably, because of the fires of last year.