Purdue Expert: Lessons Learned from Maui Wildfires

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Andrew Whelton is a professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering in Purdue University’s College of Engineering. In this video, he explains what people and state agencies can do to prepare for wildfires in their communities. In August of 2023, a series of devastating wildfires broke out on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Whelton and his team traveled to Maui to support the communities impacted. The fires in Maui caused damage to homes, infrastructure and agricultural systems. Water systems that support farmland and provide drinking water are highly vulnerable to fire. In Maui, water was contaminated as a result of this damage and heavily impacted people and businesses in the area. When natural disasters like this occur, Whelton says people want to take action to protect their families and communities, but don’t always have the information they need to do so effectively. Whelton emphasizes the need for state agencies and utilities to share guidance and information with the public as quickly as possible during these events. To protect water systems from fire damage, homeowners should ensure plants and other flammable materials are not near water meters and pipelines. People should also keep their faucets running to reduce the chances of water contamination.