The January 2025 fires in Los Angeles made clear an issue that has been brewing for years: as wildfires become more urban in nature, what is the role of urban water systems in their prevention, response and recovery? How should water systems prepare for 21st century wildfire events? What policy changes and infrastructure investments are needed to increase resilience? Read about what the experts had to say about these questions at the first of four workshops hosted through a water supply + wildfire research and policy coordination network.

No roadmap for recovery from the devastating January 2025 LA fires would be complete without meaningful engagement and inclusion of those who lived through the disaster and who are now navigating its aftermath. Read about how UCLA facilitated a robust community engagement effort that ensured the voices, concerns, and perspectives of fire survivors could inform the Blue Ribbon Commission’s recommendations.

A new study from UCLA experts breaks down the misconceptions around the limitations vegetation management could have played in mitigating the destructiveness of the January 2025 LA fires. 

Director of UCLA's California Center for Sustainable Communities Stephanie Pincetl writes, "It is time to unleash creative imagination about how we create a livable future for the 10 million people in LA county." 

Read more about her thoughts on reimagining how we build and why.

Detailed gathering of site-specific data and analysis using slope stability models to identify and treat affected critical slopes—where a failure could result in a threat to communities, transportation systems, or the environment—will be essential to reduce the risk of a catastrophic event and help with the recovery efforts. 

Read about UCLA researchers' efforts.

UCLA researchers breakdown the role climate change played in the January 2025 LA fires.