In the aftermath of deadly blazes in Los Angeles, researchers also suggest ways to make homes more resilient.

The fires that have incinerated large swathes of southern California this month are among the deadliest and most destructive in the state’s history. Scientists say that the blazes also have another grim distinction: they are terrifying examples of urban firestorms, which are fundamentally different from the wildland fires that tear through forests and shrublands.

When fires burn in densely populated areas, buildings become fuel. Neighbourhoods in the Los Angeles area went up in smoke because house after house caught fire, driving the spread of the flames.

"This was an urban conflagration and not just a wildfire event," says Ann Jeffers, a structural engineer with an interest in fire safety at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The fires have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures.

Researchers say that such urban fires are likely to become more common thanks to population trends and climate change. Scientists are now learning about how exactly urban fires spread and what can be done to lessen their impacts. "There are so many minute physics details here that are important," says Michael Gollner, a mechanical engineer with a focus on fire science at the University of California, Berkeley. Those details could be crucial in helping to reduce the fire risk of vulnerable communities - including Los Angeles as it rebuilds.