Extreme conditions make the proactive prevention steps of cutting fire breaks, clearing dry brush, and such to slow spread as well as enough personnel and equipment to ensure full evacuation significantly more important.  

Then as those temporary wind conditions slow (as the past several days) then having enough water reserves and having strategic tanks at elevation is critical.  

To say all that planning is too difficult and such tragedies can't be mitigated is a combination of poor excuses and emergency management by surrender.