{"id":22841,"date":"2025-01-16T12:40:08","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T20:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=22841"},"modified":"2025-01-29T09:43:17","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T17:43:17","slug":"a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/","title":{"rendered":"A national, nonpartisan study of the Los Angeles fires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Satellite image of Altadena region of L.A. County burning at night\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  A nighttime satellite image shows wildfire burning homes and buildings in Los Angeles County\u2019s Altadena region on Jan. 8, 2025. (Satellite image: \u00a92025 Maxar Technologies.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=social-impact\">Social Impact<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>A national, nonpartisan study of the Los Angeles fires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  The Los Angeles fires may be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. A USC expert on safety, risk reduction and complex systems calls for a blue-ribbon commission to analyze their causes.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Najmedin Meshkati<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">January 16, 2025<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 4.03502747 1.6884158 1.44087681 0 2.80427251-.5423678 3.86936601-1.5289606l.1656615-.1594552 2.2321428-2.2321428-1.6311813-1.6311813-2.2321429 2.26076c-.6581959.658196-1.5167124 1.0016026-2.43246332 1.0016026s-1.7742674-.3434066-2.43246337-1.0016026c-.65819597-.6581959-1.00160257-1.5167124-1.00160257-2.4324633 0-.8547009.2991453-1.6595442.87416905-2.2981957l.12743352-.1342677 2.23214286-2.2321429zm6.88661855-.40736607-5.26116068 5.26116075 1.61881868 1.6188186 5.2611607-5.2611607zm1.3837569-5.54501488c-1.4408768 0-2.8042725.54236779-3.869366 1.52896062l-.1656615.15945513-2.23214282 2.23214286 1.63118132 1.63118132 2.2321429-2.23214286c.6581959-.65819597 1.5167124-1.00160256 2.4324633-1.00160256s1.7742674.34340659 2.4324634 1.00160256 1.0016026 1.51671246 1.0016026 2.43246337c0 .85470089-.2991453 1.65954419-.8741691 2.29819559l-.1274335.1342678-2.2321429 2.2321428 1.5739469 1.5739469 2.2321429-2.2321428c1.0874542-1.058837 1.6884157-2.5183151 1.6884157-4.03502751 0-1.51671245-.6009615-2.94757326-1.6884157-4.03502747-1.058837-1.08745421-2.518315-1.68841575-4.0350275-1.68841575z\" transform=\"translate(-3 -3)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Copy Link<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_facebook\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Facebook\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_facebook\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m23.9512 6h-16.9024c-.57923625 0-1.0488.46956375-1.0488 1.0488v16.9024c0 .5792362.46956375 1.0488 1.0488 1.0488h9.10024v-7.34768h-2.46772v-2.87584h2.46772v-2.11508c0-2.45404 1.49872-3.79012 3.68828-3.79012.7389668-.00263323 1.4775241.03516995 2.21236.11324v2.56348h-1.51392c-1.18788 0-1.4174.56544-1.4174 1.39612v1.8316h2.84772l-.37088 2.87584h-2.47684v7.34844h4.83284c.5792362 0 1.0488-.4695638 1.0488-1.0488v-16.9024c0-.57923625-.4695638-1.0488-1.0488-1.0488z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Facebook<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_twitter\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#twitter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"X\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_twitter\">\n              <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\"\n\t y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 30 30\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 30 30\" xml:space=\"preserve\" width=\"19\" height=\"19\">\n<path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M14.5,16.2l-0.8-1.1l-6.3-9h2.7l5.1,7.3l0.8,1.1\n\tl6.6,9.4h-2.7L14.5,16.2L14.5,16.2z M16.9,13.4l7.4-8.7h-1.8l-6.5,7.5L11,4.8H5l7.8,11.4L5,25.2h1.8l6.8-7.9l5.5,7.9h6L16.9,13.4\n\tL16.9,13.4z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">X<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Linkedin\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_linkedin\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m25 21.4220779c0 1.974026-1.6038961 3.5779221-3.5779221 3.5779221h-11.84415582c-1.97402598 0-3.57792208-1.6038961-3.57792208-3.5779221v-11.84415582c0-1.97402598 1.6038961-3.57792208 3.57792208-3.57792208h11.84415582c1.974026 0 3.5779221 1.6038961 3.5779221 3.57792208zm-14.5584416-12.21428569c-.98701295 0-1.60389606.61688311-1.60389606 1.48051949-.12337663.8636364.49350649 1.4805195 1.48051946 1.4805195.987013 0 1.6038961-.6168831 1.6038961-1.4805195 0-.86363638-.6168831-1.48051949-1.4805195-1.48051949zm1.3571429 12.70779219v-8.6363636h-2.83766234v8.6363636zm10.2402597 0v-4.9350649c0-2.5909091-1.3571428-3.8246753-3.3311688-3.8246753-1.4805195 0-2.0974026.8636363-2.4675325 1.4805194v-1.2337662h-2.8376623v8.6363636h2.8376623v-4.9350649c0-.2467532 0-.4935065.1233767-.7402597.1233766-.4935065.6168831-.987013 1.4805194-.987013.987013 0 1.4805195.7402597 1.4805195 1.974026v4.564935z\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">LinkedIn<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_bluesky\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#bluesky\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Bluesky\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_bluesky\">\n              <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                <path fill=\"#00000\" d=\"M12 10.8c-1.087-2.114-4.046-6.053-6.798-7.995C2.566.944 1.561 1.266.902 1.565C.139 1.908 0 3.08 0 3.768c0 .69.378 5.65.624 6.479c.815 2.736 3.713 3.66 6.383 3.364c.136-.02.275-.039.415-.056c-.138.022-.276.04-.415.056c-3.912.58-7.387 2.005-2.83 7.078c5.013 5.19 6.87-1.113 7.823-4.308c.953 3.195 2.05 9.271 7.733 4.308c4.267-4.308 1.172-6.498-2.74-7.078a8.741 8.741 0 0 1-.415-.056c.14.017.279.036.415.056c2.67.297 5.568-.628 6.383-3.364c.246-.828.624-5.79.624-6.478c0-.69-.139-1.861-.902-2.206c-.659-.298-1.664-.62-4.3 1.24C16.046 4.748 13.087 8.687 12 10.8\"  fill-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n              <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Bluesky<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_email\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"E-mail\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_print\">\n              <svg height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 12\" width=\"18\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>The Los Angeles fires are a national disaster of epic proportions. City officials, Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom and President-elect Donald Trump have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/la-mayor-california-governor-criticized-over-fires-political-clash-ensues-2025-01-10\/\">traded accusations<\/a> about what caused this crisis. But as an engineering professor who lives in Los Angeles and has studied extreme events and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Najmedin-Meshkati\">natural and human-caused disasters<\/a> for over 40 years, I believe an event with so many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/california-wildfires-victims-rcna186989\">lives lost<\/a> and damages estimated at <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/california-wildfires-natural-disasters-losses-insurance-recovery-d2f24e44d75503118643151eaee947fb\">hundreds of billions of dollars<\/a> demands a more substantive response.<\/p>\n<p>Many problems have been cited as alleged root causes of this massive wildfire outbreak. They include <a href=\"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/newsletter\/los-angeles-county-fires-trump\/#wm-story-1\">mismanaged water resources<\/a>, misallocation of firefighting resources, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/politics\/los-angeles-mayor-slashed-fire-budget-prioritized-homeless\">fire department funding cuts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/the-morning-jolt\/how-policy-decisions-exacerbated-the-devastating-los-angeles-wildfires\/\">poor risk management<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/13\/us\/palisades-fire-cause-ignition-point-site.html\">reignition of past fires<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-santa-ana-winds-fueled-the-deadly-fires-in-southern-california-246965\">climate-driven dry conditions<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/newsletter\/2025-01-14\/chabria-column-palisades-fire-conspiracies-politics\">Rumors and conspiracy theories<\/a> have also abounded.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/E2_KvbLgHlY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" title=\"Fires in California could impact insurance rates in Massachus..\"><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Damage from the Los Angeles wildfires, estimates at $135 billion or more as of mid-January, could affect homeowners insurance rates across the U.S.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I have served as a member or adviser to national- and state-level investigations of events including <a href=\"https:\/\/ccst.us\/reports\/natural-gas-storage\/\">gas leaks<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nae.edu\/53926\/Macondo-WellDeepwater-Horizon-Blowout\">oil spills<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/nap.nationalacademies.org\/catalog\/18294\/lessons-learned-from-the-fukushima-nuclear-accident-for-improving-safety-of-us-nuclear-plants\">nuclear reactor accidents<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csb.gov\/bp-america-texas-city-refinery-explosion\/\">refinery explosions<\/a> and, most recently, <a href=\"https:\/\/viterbischool.usc.edu\/news\/2024\/05\/najmedin-meshkati-testifies-before-senate-committee-on-boeing\/\">aviation mishaps<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In my view, the Los Angeles fires call for a similar investigation that is technically sound, multidisciplinary, unbiased, apolitical and independent. U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff of California has <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5081644-adam-schiff-wildfires-review\/\">called for convening such a review<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To quote a saying <a href=\"https:\/\/elevatesociety.com\/condemnation-without-investigation-is-the\/\">often attributed to Albert Einstein<\/a>: \u201cCondemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Natural events + human responses<\/h2>\n<p>Natural disasters such as wildfires, earthquakes and tsunamis often serve as triggers. Devastating on their own, these events can have far more catastrophic aftermaths that are shaped by human choices. Nature delivers the initial blow, but a complex interplay of human, organizational and technological factors can either mitigate or worsen the consequences.<\/p>\n<p>I <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1111\/1468-5973.12078\">believe<\/a> human operators and first responders constitute society\u2019s first and the very last layer of defense against death and destruction in the crucial moments following natural disasters and technological systems failures \u2014 serving as our immediate shield, intermediate mitigator and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/opinion\/2014\/08\/25\/commentary\/japan-commentary\/unsung-heroes-fukushima\/\">ultimate savior<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I saw this when I served on a National Academy of Sciences committee that studied the <a href=\"https:\/\/nap.nationalacademies.org\/catalog\/18294\/lessons-learned-from-the-fukushima-nuclear-accident-for-improving-safety-of-us-nuclear-plants\">2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan<\/a>. The explosions and radioactive releases at the Fukushima Daiichi plant were triggered by an earthquake and tsunami, but a Japanese high-level review concluded that this event was a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/07\/06\/world\/asia\/fukushima-nuclear-crisis-a-man-made-disaster-report-says.html\">manmade disaster<\/a>\u201d \u2014 one born of human and organizational failure at <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/10-years-after-fukushima-safety-is-still-nuclear-powers-greatest-challenge-155541\">the utility and governmental levels<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/642385\/original\/file-20250114-19-rk8hr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/642385\/original\/file-20250114-19-rk8hr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/642385\/original\/file-20250114-19-rk8hr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=349&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/642385\/original\/file-20250114-19-rk8hr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=349&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/642385\/original\/file-20250114-19-rk8hr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=349&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/642385\/original\/file-20250114-19-rk8hr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=438&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/642385\/original\/file-20250114-19-rk8hr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=438&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/642385\/original\/file-20250114-19-rk8hr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=438&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"Aerial photo of four square buildings, two of them emitting vapor plumes\" \/><\/a><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">The four damaged reactor units at the Fukushima nuclear plant on March 16, 2011. Failure to provide adequate backup power to the site caused a power loss after an earthquake and tsunami, leading to hydrogen explosions and radiation releases.<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fukushima_nuclear_accident#\/media\/File:Fukushima_I_by_Digital_Globe.jpg\">Digital Globe\/Wikimedia<\/a>, <a class=\"license\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The fate of the <a href=\"https:\/\/thebulletin.org\/2014\/03\/onagawa-the-japanese-nuclear-power-plant-that-didnt-melt-down-on-3-11\/\">Onagawa Nuclear Power Station<\/a>, just 39 miles from Fukushima, was also notable. Although Onagawa was closer to the earthquake\u2019s epicenter and faced an even more powerful tsunami, the reactors there \u2014 which were identical in type and age to Fukushima\u2019s and subject to the same regulations \u2014 emerged almost unscathed. This stark difference demolished any argument that Fukushima\u2019s failure was inevitable, an act of God or purely nature\u2019s fault.<\/p>\n<p>High-level commissions have reviewed similar disasters in the United States. For example:<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 The President\u2019s Commission on the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in 1979 produced the landmark <a href=\"https:\/\/digital.library.pitt.edu\/islandora\/object\/pitt%3Aais9830.11.07.0005\/viewer#page\/1\/mode\/2up\">Kemeny Report<\/a>, which concluded that the accident was primarily caused by human factors, including inadequate operator training and confusing procedures, rather than equipment failures alone. The report strongly criticized the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which regulates the nuclear power industry, and recommended a complete restructuring of the agency. It also called for better safety measures, operator training and emergency preparedness in the nuclear industry.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Independent commissions investigated the explosions of the <a href=\"https:\/\/sma.nasa.gov\/SignificantIncidents\/assets\/rogers_commission_report.pdf\">Challenger space shuttle in 1986<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/sma.nasa.gov\/SignificantIncidents\/assets\/columbia-accident-investigation-board-report-volume-1.pdf\">Columbia space shuttle in 2003<\/a>. They identified similar systemic issues behind these incidents, even though they occurred 17 years apart, and provided overlapping recommendations to improve NASA\u2019s safety culture and decision-making processes.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Two national reviews \u2013 one by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/GPO-OILCOMMISSION\/pdf\/GPO-OILCOMMISSION.pdf\">blue-ribbon commission<\/a> and the other by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nae.edu\/20738\/deepwater-horizon-analysis\">National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council<\/a> \u2014 investigated the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. This disaster killed 11 workers, seriously injured 16 others and released an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/news\/deepwater-horizon-10-years-later-10-questions\">estimated 134 million barrels of oil<\/a> into the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n<p>Both reports concluded that BP\u2019s poor safety culture and practices, along with technical failures, lax regulation and inadequate inspections, had contributed to the well blowout. Both commissions made recommendations for improving the safety of offshore drilling.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I9aSUQmwUgA?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" title=\"Weekly Adress:BP Spill Independent Commission\"><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">President Barack Obama announces the formation of an expert commission to analyze causes and lessons from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, May 21, 2011.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Analyzing the Los Angeles fires<\/h2>\n<p>Based on my research and experience, I believe only a high-level independent investigative commission can fully unravel this disaster\u2019s interconnected causes. Government agencies, regulatory bodies and legislative committees inevitably fall short in such investigations. They are constrained by jurisdictional boundaries and bureaucratic interests. Their efforts remain too narrow and inward-focused. And, crucially, they lack true independence.<\/p>\n<p>Gov. Newsom has directed the Los Angeles water and public works departments to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/environment\/story\/2025-01-10\/newsom-water-fires-investigation\">review why hydrants ran dry<\/a>, which hampered firefighting efforts. But this inquiry focuses narrowly on water supply issues in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. It does not address other blazes like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fire.ca.gov\/incidents\/2025\/1\/7\/eaton-fire\">Eaton fire<\/a> near Pasadena, which has caused even more damage.<\/p>\n<p>The most straightforward way to set up a high-level review of the Los Angeles wildfires would be for the Trump administration and Congress to direct the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/about\">National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/history.aip.org\/phn\/21511003.html\">National Research Council<\/a> to establish an independent commission. The National Academies are private, nonprofit organizations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasonline.org\/about-the-nas\/history\/\">created by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863<\/a> to provide the nation with independent, objective advice on complex problems. The National Research Council is the National Academies\u2019 operating arm.<\/p>\n<p>Typically, such studies are led by a prominent person of national distinction or a renowned scholar, and are carried out by a panel of national experts from academia, business, the public sector and nongovernmental organizations.<\/p>\n<p>The National Academies have a reputation for producing <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1057\/palcomms.2016.30\">independent, rigorous and nonpartisan studies<\/a>. They <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/about\/our-study-process\">screen members thoroughly<\/a> for technical expertise and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/about\/institutional-policies-and-procedures\/conflict-of-interest-policies-and-procedures\">conflicts of interest<\/a>. All of their studies go through formal peer review, which helps ensure that they are scientifically accurate and credible.<\/p>\n<p>When the federal government requests a study from the academies, Congress provides funding through a relevant federal agency. For the Los Angeles fires, the federal sponsor might be the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hud.gov\/\">U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development<\/a> or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/\">Federal Emergency Management Agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Could a study proposed and sponsored by Congress and the Trump administration be balanced and nonpartisan? In my view, if the National Academies produced it, the answer is yes. The academies have a strong track record of reviewing complex issues, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/news\/2020\/08\/disaster-resources-from-the-national-academies\">disaster planning, response and recovery<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cfpub.epa.gov\/ncea\/risk\/recordisplay.cfm?deid=202175\">risk assessment<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/news\/2023\/06\/the-science-and-effects-of-wildfire\">wildfires<\/a>. And their recommendations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/archive\/epapages\/newsroom_archive\/speeches\/2c0a15a30105f16185257cc8004be075.html\">have improved public policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/raMmRKGkGD4?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" title=\"Richard Feynman debunks NASA\"><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">In a televised 1986 hearing, physicist Richard Feynman, a member of a presidential commission that investigated the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, demonstrates the commission\u2019s finding that critical seals on the shuttle became brittle at low temperatures. The report showed that NASA and its key contractor knew this flaw existed and could cause a catastrophic failure, but still approved the launch. The explosion killed all seven crew members.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Lessons for future disasters<\/h2>\n<p>I see the Los Angeles fires as a stark warning to communities nationwide. There is a widening gap between intensifying climate-induced extreme events that are becoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncei.noaa.gov\/access\/monitoring\/monthly-report\/global\/202413\">Earth\u2019s new normal<\/a>, and municipal planning, preparedness and response capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Meeting these unprecedented challenges requires a paradigm shift in public policy. To protect public safety, officials and planners will have to proactively confront scenarios that may recently have seemed unthinkable.<\/p>\n<p>For example, while Southern Californians are accustomed to wildfires, Los Angeles County agencies were unprepared to <a href=\"https:\/\/6abc.com\/post\/los-angeles-not-prepared-size-growth-raging-wildfires-fire-chief\/15779557\/\">fight several major fires simultaneously<\/a>. Flooding in North Carolina from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 is another example. Rainfall totals across the southern Appalachians reached levels that would only be expected <a href=\"https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/news-features\/event-tracker\/hurricane-helenes-extreme-rainfall-and-catastrophic-inland-flooding\">once in 1,000 years<\/a> based on past records.<\/p>\n<p>To be prepared for such events, government agencies at all levels will need to reimagine their approaches to hazard assessment, risk management and emergency response. I believe a balanced and thorough investigation of the Los Angeles fires could help communities across the U.S. reframe their thinking about planning for emergencies.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/247198\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/najmedin-meshkati-908960\">Najmedin Meshkati<\/a>, Professor of Engineering and <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/poir\/\">International Relations<\/a>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/viterbischool.usc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USC Viterbi School of Engineering<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/usc-dornsife-college-of-letters-arts-and-sciences-2669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters-247198\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          RELATED ARTICLES\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/big-fires-big-response\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Big fires demand a big response: How 1910\u2019s Big Burn can help us think smarter about fighting wildfires and living with\u00a0fire<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/wildfire-increases-due-to-climate-change-social-inequality\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >The increase in wildfires is linked via climate change to social inequity<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/camp-and-woolsey-fires-mudslides-and-debris-flows\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Landslide risk heightens when rains hit fire-ravaged areas<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Los Angeles fires may be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. A USC expert on safety, risk reduction and complex systems calls for a blue-ribbon commission to analyze their causes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":22844,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,24],"tags":[87,85,95,83,362],"class_list":["post-22841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","category-social-impact","tag-expert-viewpoint","tag-international-relations","tag-social-sciences","tag-the-conversation","tag-wildfire"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A national, nonpartisan study of the Los Angeles fires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A USC expert on safety, risk reduction and complex systems calls for a blue-ribbon commission to analyze the causes of L.A.&#039;s wildfires\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Studying L.A. wildfires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A USC expert on safety, risk reduction and complex systems calls for a blue-ribbon commission to analyze the causes of L.A.&#039;s wildfires\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Dornsife News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-16T20:40:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-29T17:43:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1150\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Darrin Joy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Darrin Joy\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/851085523b73581e3387a7fc90cadb96\"},\"headline\":\"A national, nonpartisan study of the Los Angeles fires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-16T20:40:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-29T17:43:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/\"},\"wordCount\":15,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"expert viewpoint\",\"international relations\",\"social sciences\",\"the conversation\",\"wildfire\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Faculty\",\"Social Impact\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/\",\"name\":\"Studying L.A. wildfires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-16T20:40:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-29T17:43:17+00:00\",\"description\":\"A USC expert on safety, risk reduction and complex systems calls for a blue-ribbon commission to analyze the causes of L.A.'s wildfires\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1150,\"caption\":\"A nighttime satellite image shows wildfire burning in Los Angeles County\u2019s Altadena area on Jan. 8, 2025. (Satellite image: \u00a92025 Maxar Technologies.)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A national, nonpartisan study of the Los Angeles fires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"description\":\"USC Dornsife news and events\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":330,\"caption\":\"USC Dornsife News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/851085523b73581e3387a7fc90cadb96\",\"name\":\"Darrin Joy\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6146fe42c51c04a279975fc6b76b6dd8e0953f02c4c058e244e6f3e9220652b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6146fe42c51c04a279975fc6b76b6dd8e0953f02c4c058e244e6f3e9220652b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Darrin Joy\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/darrinjo\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A national, nonpartisan study of the Los Angeles fires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters","description":"A USC expert on safety, risk reduction and complex systems calls for a blue-ribbon commission to analyze the causes of L.A.'s wildfires","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Studying L.A. wildfires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters","og_description":"A USC expert on safety, risk reduction and complex systems calls for a blue-ribbon commission to analyze the causes of L.A.'s wildfires","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/","og_site_name":"USC Dornsife News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","article_published_time":"2025-01-16T20:40:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-01-29T17:43:17+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2000,"height":1150,"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Darrin Joy","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uscdornsife","twitter_site":"@uscdornsife","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/"},"author":{"name":"Darrin Joy","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/851085523b73581e3387a7fc90cadb96"},"headline":"A national, nonpartisan study of the Los Angeles fires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters","datePublished":"2025-01-16T20:40:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-29T17:43:17+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/"},"wordCount":15,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top.jpg","keywords":["expert viewpoint","international relations","social sciences","the conversation","wildfire"],"articleSection":["Faculty","Social Impact"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/","name":"Studying L.A. wildfires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top.jpg","datePublished":"2025-01-16T20:40:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-29T17:43:17+00:00","description":"A USC expert on safety, risk reduction and complex systems calls for a blue-ribbon commission to analyze the causes of L.A.'s wildfires","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/01\/LA_Fires_Meskati_Top.jpg","width":2000,"height":1150,"caption":"A nighttime satellite image shows wildfire burning in Los Angeles County\u2019s Altadena area on Jan. 8, 2025. (Satellite image: \u00a92025 Maxar Technologies.)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/a-national-nonpartisan-study-of-the-los-angeles-fires-could-improve-planning-for-future-disasters\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A national, nonpartisan study of the Los Angeles fires could improve planning for future\u00a0disasters"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","name":"USC Dornsife News","description":"USC Dornsife news and events","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"USC Dornsife News","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","width":1000,"height":330,"caption":"USC Dornsife News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/851085523b73581e3387a7fc90cadb96","name":"Darrin Joy","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6146fe42c51c04a279975fc6b76b6dd8e0953f02c4c058e244e6f3e9220652b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6146fe42c51c04a279975fc6b76b6dd8e0953f02c4c058e244e6f3e9220652b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Darrin Joy"},"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/darrinjo\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22841"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22984,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22841\/revisions\/22984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}