This April I had the pleasure of attending the After the Flames 2026 conference in Washington state to speak on the role architects play in post-wildfire response and rebuilding efforts. This conference draws experts from across the western US, representing federal and state agencies, local government staff, Native American communities, first responders, non-profits, and consultants. Every attendee was keenly aware of how the dry winter and hotter temperatures will significantly increase wildfire risks in the mountain west region this year. What most attendees don't think about is that the architecture profession fits into the entire emergency management cycle including response, recovery, and resiliency.
The mission of the After the Flames conference is to "offer a range of programs designed to enhance national capacity for wildfire recovery, helping to reduce impacts on communities and ecosystems while strengthening collaboration across landscapes". The organizers understand that in order to implement successful wildfire mitigation and response efforts, relationships and plans must be developed ahead of wildfire events. AIA National responded to the call for presentations with a session titled "Beyond the Burn: Architects Supporting Recovery and Resiliency After Wildfire". Knowing that this conference wasn't targeted at design professionals, it was a great opportunity to introduce ourselves and share all the programs and initiatives we've developed to help our members around the country.
I was joined by Jessica Orlando, AIA, chapter president of AIA Pasadena & Foothill. Jessica led her chapter's efforts in architect involvement after the 2025 Los Angeles fires. Combined with my participation on our national Resilience and Disaster Response (RADR) committee and policy efforts in Colorado after the 2021 Marshall Fire, we could speak to how architects get involved in disaster-related efforts at both the individual and organizational levels.
We gave an overview of AIA's Safety Assessment Program training and how our members participate in immediate response efforts, as well as resiliency resources our members use including AIAU course series, the Resilient Design Toolkit and Resilient Project Process Guide. We covered the various ways that architects helped homeowners who lost homes to wildfire, who've likely never worked with an architect before. Common threads in both the LA and Colorado rebuild efforts were our presence at community events, navigating how building codes should apply to mass rebuilds, helping clients set expectations on insurance coverage and rebuild costs, and offering advice to folks who opted to work with traditional residential homebuilders directly. I also shared examples of Colorado legislation aimed at making homes safer through codes and fire-resistant building materials.
Between our breakout session and conversations throughout the conference, we got a lot of positive feedback from folks who typically think about fires more in terms of acres burned than structures affected. They appreciated learning about all the ways that architects give back to our communities before, during, and after wildfires and other disaster events. This outreach on behalf of the profession is something that every AIA member can do to build key relationships with local disaster response and recovery experts. In a world where climate, political priorities, and government funding are rapidly changing, it's on us to ensure that we create opportunities to protect our communities when disasters strike.
Since the reduction in federal resources and assistance is a nationwide challenge right now, I'm curious to hear what other local or regional collaborations are occurring in your neck of the woods to prepare for future disaster response efforts?
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Nikolaus Remus, AIA, CAE
Advocacy Engagement Director, AIA Colorado
Office: 303-228-3914
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