Community effort and influence on post-fire rebuilding in Northern California

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20911
• Project/Area Number (Other): 18H05714 (2018)
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund (2019); Single-year Grants (2018)
• Review Section: 0108:Sociology and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Ochiai Chiho 京都大学, 地球環境学堂, 准教授 (80582022)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-08-24 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: コミィニティ / 住宅再建 / 住民ネットワーク / 意思決定 / 避難行動 / 復興再建

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study focused on "citizen power" during the evacuation and recovery period after the fires that broke out in the Santa Rosa and Napa/Sonoma areas in October 2017.As a result of the study, after the fire broke out, many residents took evacuation action after being aware of the disaster situation through telephone calls and voices from family members, friends, neighbors, and firefighters. In addition, during the reconstruction period, community support was provided by local organizations and support groups from the beginning of the disaster, but there were many issues such as a shortage of temporary housing, soaring housing reconstruction costs, and the loss of workplaces. There were many residents who could not afford it and had to relocate to other cities. Also, due to the influence of climate change, more continuity has been reported than localized fires so far, and further research of various professions is needed.

Free Research Field

災害社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は2017年10月サンタ・ローサおよびナパ・ソノマ地域で発生した火災直後の避難時および復興期における「市民力」に着目した。調査の結果、当地域では避難時、火災を知らせる方法が整っておらず、多くの住民が家族、友人、近隣住民、消防関係者からの電話や声がけで災害状況を認知した後に避難行動を起こしていた。また、復興期においては、被災当初から地域組織や支援団体によるコミュニティ支援が行われたが、みなし仮設住宅の不足、住宅再建費の高騰、職場の喪失など多くの課題があり、移転せざるを得ない住民も多くいた。このように災害直後から復興期における住民力に視点を当てた研究が地域復興を理解するうえで重要である。