Researchers Call for Strategic Building Protection Against Wildfires

What would be possible if one proceeded methodically when it comes to building protection is shown by the two scholars working in the USA, Akshat Chulahwata and Hussam Mahmoud, in the journal "PNAS" using the example of "Pacific Palisades". Fuchs and Keiler take up these findings and link them with their own analyses.

Technical Findings from the USA

"In many areas there are very good systems and a great deal of experience," said the expert, who also identifies "invisible levels where processes get stuck". "Man weiß, wie man in Waldbrandgebieten so baut, dass die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer Zerstörung sinkt. In diesem Fall wurde dieses Wissen umgesetzt - und man sieht das Resultat", so Keiler in einer ÖAW-Aussendung.

"Oft sind Vorschriften oder Strategien vorhanden, aber es ist nicht klar, wie sie auf lokaler Ebene umgesetzt werden sollen", wird Fuchs zitiert. Die Forscherinnen und Forscher sehen damit eine Lücke zwischen vorhandenem Wissen und dessen konkreter Anwendung vor Ort.

The Numbers Speak for a Strategic Approach

The study also provides concrete figures: If fire protection measures were taken randomly, the average risk in the event of a fire dropped by 57 percent. If one proceeded strategically - for instance, by protecting particularly endangered buildings and areas first - the overall risk dropped by 78 percent, according to the paper.

The authors emphasize that a strategic approach is not solely about building measures such as fire protection, but also about the question of which locations should be secured as a priority and which access routes should be kept open for fire departments and emergency services. According to the study, local authorities could achieve significantly more with comparatively simple means than with uncoordinated individual measures.

Two Studies, One Message

The findings come from two studies: an Austrian research paper published in "Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences" (doi:10.5194/nhess-26-1785-2026), as well as a U.S. study in "PNAS" (doi:10.1073/pnas.2612835123). Together they paint the picture of a known-how gap that could be closed through clear, location-specific strategies.

In view of rising wildfire risks due to climate change, the researchers see their work as a wake-up call to policymakers and administrators. Those who deploy scarce resources in a targeted manner can protect both lives and property to an extent previously thought hardly possible.

Keiler and Fuchs hope that their findings will find their way into concrete planning guidelines - and that the example of that house in Pacific Palisades, which went viral on social media as a symbolic image, will set a precedent. Because a single building alone, the message goes, can show what could be achieved for entire neighborhoods through strategic building protection.