Homeland Security Today has written an article discussing the importance of building infrastructure with more climate-resilient materials, using the aftermath of the 2017 Tubbs Wildfire in Santa Rosa, CA as an example. At the time, the Tubbs wildfire was the most destructive wildfire in the state’s history, killing 22 people and destroying 4,600 homes.

In the aftermath of the fire, Santa Rosa residents were hit by a one-two punch caused by weakened infrastructure. First, the intense heat of the fires melted the plastic storm drains, creating a risk of sinkholes and landslides if any heavy rains occurred during recovery. This delayed recovery efforts by forcing the reactivation of the Emergency Operations Center and requiring more resources to be deployed in an already-strained community where some residents couldn’t return to their homes. Second, in the winter of that year, it was discovered that the town’s water was contaminated from a combination of melted plastic piping and ash and soot from the fire. Efforts to flush these contaminants from the system have not been fully successful. These examples demonstrate the importance of building climate-resilient infrastructure to prepare for future disasters, especially as climate change continues to increase heat and wildfire risks for the country. Read more at Homeland Security Today.