Recent wildfires in the United States have severely damaged several famous historic landmarks. In January 2025, the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles destroyed the historic Will Rogers Ranch House. Later that year, the Dragon Bravo fire destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge, which was built in 1927. These events show that wildfires are a growing danger to cultural heritage.
A new study from researchers at UC Santa Barbara assessed over 100,000 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The study revealed that more than half of these places face fire risks. In addition, over 3,000 sites are at severe risk. The danger is highest in the western United States, but states like Oklahoma and Arkansas also face high risks.
Buildings and historic districts are very vulnerable because fire can destroy their physical structures. However, most states currently leave historic sites out of official wildfire planning frameworks. Scientists suggest using fire-resistant materials and clearing vegetation around key landmarks to protect them before future fires occur.
Difficult words
- landmark — an important or famous building or placelandmarks
- heritage — traditions, history, and objects from the past
- assess — to calculate or carefully judge the nature of somethingassessed
- vulnerable — easy to hurt, damage, or harm severely
- framework — a set of rules or plans used to organize somethingframeworks
- vegetation — plants and trees that grow in a specific area
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Discussion questions
- Why is it important to protect historic landmarks from natural disasters?
- How can local communities help protect historic places from fires?
- What challenges might governments face when trying to make old buildings fire-resistant?