In the aftermath of the January Southern California wildfires, which ravaged large parts of Altadena and Pacific Palisades, as well as other areas in Los Angeles and San Diego, faculty members and students from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering have come together to support the community's recovery process.
They are working with federal and local agencies on post-fire field reconnaissance, providing expert insights to local and national media, and developing research aimed at mitigating future wildfire devastation, ranging from soil testing and hazardous waste safety to early fire detection and community support.
Assessing slope stability, debris flows and landslides
Civil and environmental engineering associate professor Idil Akin leads research on slope stability and soil conditions in wildfire-affected areas. Following the Palisades and Eaton fires, Akin has focused her efforts on the risk of post-fire debris flows and landslides that can threaten homes and infrastructure.
"Wildfires result in loss of vegetation, loss of cohesion and changes in soil composition that leave the bare soil surface prone to raindrop impacts and increased erosion," Akin said.
Her team is studying methods to stabilize burned slopes and reduce soil erosion, which can safeguard homes from further damage.
Mapping and collecting data
In the immediate aftermath of the fires, several UCLA Samueli faculty members from the civil and environmental engineering department participated in field data reconnaissance and mapping efforts.
Professors Sriram Narasimhan and Ertugrul Taciroglu completed nearly 40 miles of terrestrial mapping with their team's vehicle-mounted cameras and lidar (a sensing method that utilizes laser light) systems in the worst-affected Palisades area Jan. 22. They worked with the City of Los Angeles to extract actionable information regarding the state of affected critical infrastructure, such as utilities and roads. The duo also plans to help monitor the repair and recovery processes over the coming months and years.
Associate professor Timu Gallien helped conduct lidar and hyperspectral imaging flights over the Palisades to collect highly perishable data before rain arrived in February. These observations can help predict, monitor and map debris flows and landslides. Over the long term, Gallien will use the data to better understand the physics of hyper-concentrated flows for improved modeling, predictions and warnings. Gallien is working with Akin, Narasimhan and Taciroglu on these efforts.
Professor Scott Brandenberg has also coordinated data reconnaissance as part of the National Science Foundation-funded programs that organize quick response field teams. These include Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance, Public Health Extreme Events Research and Nearshore Extreme Events Reconnaissance. The programs are coordinated by the CONVERGE Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder, which supports the collection of perishable data following extreme events. Brandenberg is also working with Jonathan Stewart, a professor who specializes in earthquake engineering and has led several post-natural disaster data reconnaissance projects.
Assessing and removing toxic soil
Civil and environmental engineering associate professor Sanjay Mohanty has been at the forefront of discussions on wildfire impacts on soil and water quality. His research has shown that most pollutants are trapped within the top 6 inches of soil, and once that layer is removed, it is believed that no significant residual pollutants will remain. However, he cautioned that more testing and data are still needed to confirm whether contamination risks have been fully eliminated, particularly in hilly areas where pollutants may persist and be carried by rainwater.
Mohanty is actively involved in the multi-institutional Community Action Project L.A. — a data-informed civic initiative funded by the R&S Kayne Foundation that aims to expedite the recovery process and empower homeowners and businesses following the wildfires. Recently, Mohanty conducted soil sample testing in the Pacific Palisades area, using spectrometry techniques to measure the concentrations of metals and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (synthetic chemicals found in many consumer products and industrial processes that are hard to break down in the environment).
Mohanty's expertise has been widely shared in national media, including the New York Times, in which he discussed the implications of federal water policies on California's drought resilience. His insights have helped shape conversations on balancing emergency wildfire responses with long-term water conservation strategies.
In addition to his research on post-wildfire soil contamination, Mohanty is actively working on climate-resilient solutions for land remediation and stormwater treatment to enhance water reuse. He is also exploring ways for his research group to provide free soil testing for affected residents, helping communities assess and address potential hazards.
Investigating post-fire water quality
Civil and environmental engineering professor Jennifer Jay and doctoral students Katie Osborne and Yuhui Zhang are working with Heal the Bay to investigate the post-fire water quality in Santa Monica Bay. The team has conducted testing for water contaminants, looking for the presence of metals and other harmful substances in and near two stormwater channels from the Santa Monica Mountains.
Initial testing following post-fire rain over Southern California saw higher levels of lead, copper and zinc at the Santa Monica Canyon stormwater channel, whose watershed encompasses an area heavily impacted by the Palisades fire, as compared to another site further east that was less affected by the fires.
They also measured levels of nutrients, bacteria and antibiotic-resistant bacteria and observed high bacteria levels near storm drains in Santa Monica Bay. Elevated phosphorus levels have also increased nutrient concentration in the area, leading to the formation of a persistent brown foam along the shoreline and increasing the risk of algal blooms.
Optimizing debris-removing strategies
There are many factors to consider when cleaning debris in the aftermath of a major fire. Steep roads or narrow intersections can cause safety issues for trucks and crews on their way to a cleanup site. Some roads might not be able to support the weight of trucks carrying equipment.
Associate civil and environmental engineering professor Jiaqi Ma, who leads the U.S. Department of Transportation-funded Mobility Center at UCLA, is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to design and evaluate different strategies to remove debris in the areas affected by the fires. Using a digital twin of the City of Los Angeles created by his lab, Ma and his team of researchers are helping the authority assess the following factors to optimize debris removal efforts while ensuring the safety of the crews.
- Optimization
How best to route trucks, stage debris and schedule large movements
- Community
Address the impact of heavy vehicles on traffic, dust and noise
- Safety
Identify high-risk areas, such as steep roads, narrow intersections and accident-prone areas
- Infrastructure
Ensure that Pacific Coast Highway, one of the few major traffic routes in Pacific Palisades, can handle the traffic loads
Addressing lithium battery hazards from burned electric vehicles
Assistant professor Yuzhang Li of chemical and biomolecular engineering shared his insights on the dangers posed by lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles that were incinerated or partially burned during the fires.
If exposed to damage or excessive heat, lithium-ion batteries can catch fire or even explode. Leftover heat triggers a chain reaction, causing the batteries to overheat uncontrollably and ignite spontaneously, sometimes days, weeks or even months after the damage occurred.
Li emphasized that the riskiest batteries are generally those in cars that were partially burned rather than fully destroyed.
Using AI technology for early wildfire detection
Mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Pirouz Kavehpour teamed up with high school student Ryan Honary on developing an AI-powered early wildfire detection system designed to detect the start of a fire before smoke becomes visible.
Honary, who attends Stanford Online High School, said he felt compelled to develop the SensoRyAI system after seeing the devastation of the 2018 Camp Fire. He was already working with the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) on an AI-powered prototype when he reached out to Kavehpour, who specializes in the physics of fluid flows, for insights on how flames and heat travel.
The collaboration led to a prototype authorized for field deployment by the OCFA and a co-authored paper, published in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Open Journal of Engineering. The team is planning further field tests this year.
Supporting displaced students with free math lessons
For nearly a month following the fires, electrical and computer engineering professor Lara Dolecek volunteered her time to teach daily math lessons to a group of fifth grade students whose schools had been gravely affected by the fires. Most of these students attend Cavalry Christian School in the Palisades, one of the educational institutions that had to pause its classes due to the fires.
Her math classes covered a wide range of topics, including grade-level concepts such as fractions, engaging math puzzles and interactive online math games designed to keep students motivated and engaged. Parents of the affected children expressed deep appreciation for her enthusiasm and dedication, noting that her efforts offered a sense of normalcy and encouragement to young learners coping with the aftermath of the fires.
Raghu Meka, an associate professor of computer science, also joined the effort, which was part of a volunteer math program through the UCLA Olga Radko Endowed Match Circle for K-12 students impacted by the fires in the broader L.A. area.
Building software models to predict and manage wildfire evacuation
UCLA's B. John Garrick Institute for the Risk Sciences has been developing an evacuation management software platform, Wildfire Safe Egress or WiSE, that integrates the fire dynamics, human behavior and traffic model to predict the chance of safe egress by any given community during a wildfire evacuation. WiSE presents a unified dependency diagram and workflow offering consistent granularity between sub-models and creates comparable evacuation scenarios.
Looking ahead
As Los Angeles rebuilds, UCLA Samueli researchers are urging policymakers to prioritize long-term wildfire resilience. Akin stressed that investment in slope stabilization and runoff management could prevent secondary disasters like landslides. Mohanty called for comprehensive water management strategies that balance fire suppression needs with agricultural sustainability. Kavehpour emphasized the importance of technological innovation, citing the potential of AI-powered detection systems to reduce fire response times. The contributions of UCLA Samueli faculty and students reflect a broader commitment to leveraging engineering expertise to protect and empower communities in times of crisis.
