As Houses Rise in the Wild, So Do Fire Concerns

Dennis Watkins wanted a piece of the good life. Several years ago, the Frito-Lay salesman and his wife bought a three-acre plot of land in the San Jacinto Mountains. In May, they completed their house -- a 3,000-square-foot ranch-style abode, 3,500 feet above the smog of western Riverside County.

"We built our dream house," Watkins, 54, enthused as he surveyed his estate. "We planned to retire here. After 14 years living in tract housing with no back yard, we loved the space."

from the Washington Post