CITRIS Climate director discusses rebuilding after wildfire

Bright orange wildfire burns in the hills adjacent to an urban area at nighttime.

What should Los Angeles residents take into consideration, as they seek to rebuild their homes in the wake of the devastating January fires?

“We’ve been building with very little consideration of fire for many decades,” said Michele Barbato, civil and environmental engineering professor at UC Davis and director of the CITRIS Climate research initiative. “If we rebuild exactly as we have and don’t take proper measures, we can only expect the same results, or worse.”

Barbato stresses the importance of using noncombustible materials to rebuild in Southern California, advocating for an ancient and plentiful construction material: dirt. Cement-reinforced earth blocks, developed from compressed soil by Barbato’s lab, have proven to be cheaper, tougher and more sustainable than clay-based bricks, able to withstand temperatures up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.   

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