RAPID/Collaborative Research: Data Collection on Wildfire Urban Interface (WUI) for Schools and Hospitals Following the 2018 California Camp Fire

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This Rapid Response Research (RAPID) team is assessing the impact of the Camp wildfire on schools and hospitals in Paradise, CA. These evaluations will have important implications for understanding the effectiveness of mitigation practices. The outcomes of this research will include a database, recorded using the advanced technologies of the NSF-supported Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) Natural Hazards Reconnaissance Facility equipment, of the performance of schools and hospitals throughout the town of Paradise, California, the efficiency and effectiveness of sustainable Wildfire Urban Interface (WUI) mitigation practices, and the impact of damaged schools and hospitals on the surrounding region after the wildfire. The data collected from this investigation will be used to advance computational models for the predication of community performance in a WUI fire hazard, and post-event functionality rates. The results of this research will also enable decision-makers to better understand the impact of mitigation techniques and the holistic impact on a region due to damage in one town and will assist in planning and investments to reduce WUI fire vulnerability. This scientific research contribution thus supports NSF's mission to promote the progress of science and to advance our national welfare. In this case, the benefits will be insights to assist recovery after wildfires. In this RAPID project, the team will investigate the performance of wildfire mitigation techniques as they apply to schools and hospitals, and to qualitatively investigate the direct impacts of damage to Paradise schools and hospitals on the surrounding communities. The objectives of this project are to: (1) observe and document damage to schools and hospitals due to fire impacts of the Camp Fire in the town of Paradise, CA (2) document mitigation strategies for fire hazards implemented prior to the California Camp Fire, based on pre-fire mitigation plans regulated by Butte County and the town of Paradise, (3) qualitatively investigate the additional burden that damage to schools and hospitals in Paradise has on the networks of the surrounding regions, and (4) use the data collected from Paradise, California and the surrounding area to inform mitigation and better design criteria for communities located in regions vulnerable to fire hazards. The collected data will be used to establish a holistic performance of facilities that are critical to the recovery of a community after a disaster. The collected data will be archived and made publicly available in the NSF-supported NHERI Data Depot (https://www.designsafe-ci.org/). This project will train a graduate student and promote collaboration between U.S. colleagues working together on enhancing the resilience of communities with fire hazard risk. The findings of this project will be disseminated through a public webinar as well as podcasts on the NHERI web site (https://www.designsafe-ci.org).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.