There is evidence that extreme rainfall after a wildfire can lead to intense landslides and flash floods. After the occurrence of the Thomas Wildfire, soil and vegetation were damaged by the fire so that they could no longer soak up water from the rainfall, causing a landslide that killed 23 people and hundreds of millions in damage.
Though these extreme combined events have been relatively rare, newly available data has allowed scientists to start quantifying the problem, they suspect that more than 90 percent of wildfires are expected to be followed by at least three extreme rainfall events within five years by 2100. The risks are further perpetuated by global warming; making wildfire more frequent and covering larger areas and combined with increased and more intense rainfall, indicating that this issue will be something emergency managers will need to respond to by 2050. The understanding of the risks of combined events can improve emergency management preparation and community adaptation.