The new American West is the burning West. In recent years the 13 western states have become synonymous with the threat, with California leading the list by a large margin. After the initial research trips to the area, which included an editorial assignment on the subject of booming real estate development in high risk fire zones, I composed a map of locations which I intend to photograph over the course of several visits. As with my FloodZone project, the new FireZone will spare the viewer from predictable images of disaster, instead focusing on the daily life in communities at risk of complete evisceration in a single fire season. In the era of climate change the cultural preconceptions of American Dream being equivalent to suburban house ownership with subsequent reliance on oversized automobiles are becoming increasingly irrational, yet that is still the reality even in outwardly progressive states like California.