Palisades Fire Burn Area, in Infrastructure Resilience and Impact Study for Wildfire-affected Infrastructure in Los Angeles

This study investigated how wildfire impacts civil infrastructure performance in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), specifically examining buildings, roads, and utilities affected by the January 2025 Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and Malibu communities. The research focused on fire spread patterns between structures, damage extent factors, and the effectiveness of firebreaks and fire prevention methods.

Comprehensive data collection was conducted using high-resolution aerial imaging via Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) provided by the NHERI RAPID Facility, capturing approximately 6.5 square kilometers of detailed images, geo-referenced orthomosaics, 3D point cloud models, and digital surface models for the Pacific Palisades area. Street view imagery documented ground-level infrastructure damage and fire effects. Data were collected in February/March 2025 and again in September 2025.

The study produced a unique, high-resolution dataset documenting wildfire impacts on WUI infrastructure with unprecedented detail. The data reveals critical insights into fire spread mechanisms, structural vulnerability factors, and infrastructure resilience in densely populated areas adjacent to wildfire-prone wildlands.

This dataset supports diverse applications including community awareness initiatives, policy development, infrastructure resilience planning, fire spread modeling, public health impact studies, regional-scale risk assessments, computer model calibration and verification, and in-depth case studies. The data serves researchers, community members, local officials, emergency planners, and infrastructure professionals seeking evidence-based insights for wildfire preparedness and recovery planning.