People involved with emergency preparedness have a saying: Nature always bats last. In other words, people can create defenses against emergencies such as floods, hurricanes and wildfires, but nature will decide whether the defenses were successful. In the case of one California university, efforts to protect the university campus and structures proved to be a bigger bat than the forces of nature.
Pepperdine University escaped the recent Franklin Fire with minimal damage after social media videos showed flames charring hillsides and nearing the library where students were sheltering. University officials aren’t surprised because the Malibu campus and facilities are designed to withstand wildfires, according to LAist.
Jon Weber, the university’s director of emergency services and insurance and risk, says a lot of pre-planning goes into keeping the students, staff and community safe.
The university uses fire-resistant materials for its buildings, including stucco walls and tile roofs. They are also constructed in clusters, so even if flames were to reach one set, it would be more difficult for it to spread directly to the next set.
The landscaping team clears 20 feet of brush around every building, so if a fire does approach campus, firefighters have a defensible space to push back from. They also try to use fire-resistant plants, usually those that are native to Southern California.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
