As wildfires spread to Europe's cities, what can LA teach us?

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Experts said urban sprawl and the fact that many houses in California are built of wood contributed to the devastation.

While Europe's mostly stone and concrete buildings would resist better, urban sprawl increases risk.

In Europe, "it's a matter of time before you see a larger, more intense fire," said Lindon Pronto, senior fire management expert at the European Forest Institute and an ex-firefighter. "But not necessarily a full on house-to-house ignition scenario like in Los Angeles."

California's rules on using fire-resistant building materials were credited with reducing damage and interrupting the chain reaction, but houses outside the regulated zones were vulnerable as they were not bound by the same building codes.

Vandecasteele said Europe must learn from L.A. by, for example, noting the importance of mapping risk in borderlands between people and forests, or fields to ensure regulations are up to scratch.

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