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The Conversation
The Conversation
Rebecca Napolitano, Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering, Penn State

Wildfire-damaged historic buildings may not be as ruined as they appear, but saving them means acting fast

Fires burned across Spain in summer 2026. Acting quickly to shore up old stone walls when buildings burn can help preserve a region's history. Jose Jordan/AFP via Getty Images

In a summer of wildfires severe enough to trigger Spain’s first-ever national emergency for a forest fire, a historic stone structure called the Nevera de Castro stands in a landscape burned bare in the Castellón region. Its walls are blackened by smoke and heat. A local news outlet noted that “a technical inspection will be necessary to know its real state.”

That one sentence names a problem that plays out after every major fire.

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