After the Fire: Practical, Science-Backed Steps for Recovery

Monday, August 17, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m. EDT

Register in advance to attend the webinar at:  https://bit.ly/purdue-after-the-fire

Join us for a one-hour virtual briefing from leading experts sharing newly released, evidence-based guidance for wildfire recovery. Additional actionable guidance will be shared about debris removal, soil restoration, building environmental testing, private wells, building plumbing, agricultural water systems, and public drinking water systems. This session is designed for government officials in the U.S. and abroad, environmental and remediation consultants, water utility and public health professionals, and property owners seeking practical, science-backed direction for post-fire recovery.

Topics for Discussion

Residential soil safety — Site assessment, sampling, and cleanup goals.

Building environmental safety — Testing standing homes after wildfires.

Public drinking water systems — The first Concepts of Operations Plan (CONOPs) for water distribution testing/recovery.

Private well safety — Guidance from real-world contamination investigations and decontamination work.

Building plumbing safety — Inspecting, testing, sampling, and decontaminating in-building water systems.

Agricultural water systems — Lessons from the 2023 Hawaii wildfires.

Questions? Contact Professor Andrew Whelton at awhelton@purdue.edu