August 25, 2021
Researchers work to understand and mitigate post-wildfire landslide hazards
The 2020 California wildfires that rampaged through seven million acres of West Coast land have left behind perishable data that researchers are now utilizing to better understand and reduce post-wildfire landslide hazards.
The Natural Hazards Reconnaissance Facility (RAPID), directed by University of Washington civil and environmental engineering professor Joe Wartman, is conducting a natural hazards reconnaissance mission on the issue of post-fire landslides.
Post-fire landslides result from the chemical changes soil undergoes following exposure to extreme burning. The soil may become water-repellant, causing rain to run off rather than be absorbed into the ground. This runoff may be life-threatening as it runs downhill, picking up mud and debris.
Although there are warning systems in place, they are largely ineffective. The systems rely on data from California that does not account for the variation in vegetation and tree root decay across terrains.
To account for the environmental differences in the Pacific Northwest, RAPID and its collaborators collected perishable data from sites in Oregon that were impacted by wildfires and are likely to experience debris flow. The researchers will utilize this data to inform the creation of effective standardized post-wildfire landslide procedures.