This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Frequently located on hillsides and in canyons surrounded by wildlands, wealthy neighborhoods are more likely to catch fire. However, a UC Riverside study shows they are also likely to recover faster than lower-income areas.
Unlike most fire research focused on wildland blazes or single catastrophic events, the UCR study represents one of the most comprehensive examinations of the unique dynamics of fires in cities. Published in the journal npj Urban Sustainability, the study examined 141 fires across the U.S. dating to 1984. The researchers combined these records with population, development, climate and demographic data, offering a more in-depth understanding of the lead-up to and aftermath of fires.
The results show that fire risk in cities is not randomly distributed. "These urban fires consistently occur in suburban, high-income, owner-occupied development," said UCR postdoctoral researcher in urban ecology and study author Dion Kucera. "That hasn't changed in more than 40 years." According to the study, neighborhoods with substantially higher median incomes had about 30% higher odds of fire exposure.
One of the study's most critical findings for city planners is what precedes these fires. It's not long-term drought but rather a short, intense drying of the environment in the six months before a fire. "That suggests three- to six-month moisture measures may be more important for city managers trying to identify periods of heightened risk, rather than longer-term drought assessments," Kucera said.
Once a neighborhood burns, recovery can be slow. The researchers measured whether vegetation and surface temperatures returned to their pre-fire ranges during the following five years. For most places, they did not.
About 78% of severely burned areas failed to return to their pre-fire temperature range within five years, while 73% failed to recover their previous level of greenness. In general, burned urban areas became hotter and less green, with the effects persisting for years. Income emerged as an important factor in recovery as well.
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