Tag Archive for: wildfire management

How Better Water Systems Can Help Cities Survive the Next Firestorms

Santa Rosa. Paradise. Boulder County. Lahaina. Los Angeles. All are places that have shown that American cities and their water systems weren’t built to withstand wildfire, experts say. Hydrants trickled. Pumps and treatment plants lost power. Chemical contaminants were sucked into pipes, requiring extensive and costly work.  In Paradise alone, where the 2018 Camp Fire killed at least 85 people and destroyed more than 18,000 structures, rebuilding the drinking water system is expected to cost $125 million and take three-and-a half more years.

Hotter Summers, Bigger Fires, Less Water: How Arizona Is Adapting to New Climate Norms

Climate scientists working on the latest international assessment of rising threats to society say it’s imperative that communities adapt now.

Their warning touches on several fields that Arizona and its neighbors in the Southwest are now attempting to tackle, from drought mitigation and wildfire management to the dangers of urban heat.