topSkip to main content

Menu, Secondary

Menu Trigger

Menu

University Research Driving Innovation in Wildfire Recovery and Response

Beyond immediate death and destruction, wildfires also affect communities in the long term. iStock

Even as Southern California faces a continued threat from wildfires, it also faces a difficult road to recovery from the destructive Palisades and Eaton fires that recently engulfed parts of the region. Research shows that wildfires in the United States are becoming larger, more frequent, and more widespread now than in the past. Beyond immediate death and destruction, wildfires also affect communities in the long term – they can contaminate drinking water; lead to habitat loss for wildlife; cause lingering adverse health effects; and even increase the risk of preterm birth.

Here's how some scientists at America’s leading research universities are working to fully understand both the short- and long-term effects of wildfires and to help communities become more resilient to these fast-moving disasters:

  • Measuring and fighting water contamination: Wildfires can damage a community’s drinking water supply by making “drinking water, and the water pipes and tanks themselves, unsafe,” explains Andrew J. Whelton, professor of civil, environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue University. “Heat can partially melt plastic pipes and water meters, releasing chemicals; smoke can be sucked into water systems; and breaks in the water infrastructure can introduce contamination,” he writes.

    According to Purdue, Whelton has “built a reputation as a go-to-recovery expert” for communities dealing with wildfires. His team, including Purdue students, has assisted several localities across the country with testing their water supplies for contamination after wildfires and with removing toxic chemicals, so the water is safe to drink again.

    After the devastating 2023 wildfires in Maui, for example, Welton was invited to Hawaii to assist local officials with recovery efforts. Similarly, after fires in Louisville and Superior, Colorado, Whelton helped local citizens assess damage to their water system and provided recommendations on how to properly restore it. More recently, his team developed “guidance for public drinking water system staff, outlining the decision-making process for testing and recovering water distribution systems after a wildfire.” The guidance was sponsored by four water utilities in California, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

  • Detecting wildfires before they grow: Stanford University’s Wildfire Resilience program works closely with California communities to help them become more resilient and to mitigate the impact of wildfires. The university joined several local and national partners in a project last fall that led to the installation of 50 sensors around the San Francisco Bay region in California that “detect wildfires at the earliest stage possible using advanced ground-based sensors and cloud-based AI technologies day or night and often before wildfires become visible.” According to the City of Palo Alto, which participates in the program, the sensors automatically alert local authorities about emergent fires, “providing situational awareness and enabling a quick response by fire personnel.”

    Cody Hill, associate director of Stanford’s resilience and emergency response program, said: “The deployment of these wildfire detection sensors is yet another testament to how Stanford’s Wildfire Resilience program leverages our lands as a living lab and continues collaborations with our neighbors to enhance regional wildfire resilience.”

  • Managing indoor air pollution – A home that escapes a fire can still be affected by heat, smoke, and ash. Experts at the University of Colorado, Boulder tested homes near the Marshall Fire in Boulder County and found elevated levels of metals and other toxins, including carcinogens.

    Colleen Reid, associate professor of geography at CU Boulder, explains that urban fires don’t just burn organic matter, they also burn “all kinds of materials found in cars and houses and everything around them – electronics, paint, plastics, furniture.” The smoke and ash resulting from these fires can contaminate homes, leading to smells and indoor air pollution. Reid and her team surveyed affected residents for health issues and found reports of symptoms “that aligned with health risks related to smoke and ash from fires.” Researchers at the university offer residents a range of recommendations for cleaning up homes after urban fires.

    Reid is not alone at CU Boulder in researching the impacts of fires and working to find solutions. Scientists are engaged in a variety of projects related to soil contamination after fires; managing grasslands and finding ways to mitigate grassland fires; best practices for rebuilding after fires; and more.

These are just a few examples among many of how university research is helping provide innovative solutions and valuable insights to communities affected by fires. As wildfires occur with increasing frequency, scientists at America’s leading research universities will continue working to advance this important area of research.


Kritika Agarwal is senior editorial officer at AAU.