Three fires burned in the L.A. area as of Sunday. The Palisades Fire ripped through western neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, becoming the most destructive wildfire in L.A. history.

Chaparral, Calif.’s fire-adapted ecosystem, often goes overlooked. That is, except for when the high severity firestorms blaze through human communities. Chaparral was quickly lambasted during ...