California’s wildfires leave behind more than smoldering ruins—they trigger a chain reaction of destruction long after the flames are gone.

In this special report, correspondent Mike Kirsch investigates a growing environmental threat: catastrophic soil erosion caused by wildfire damage. As intense heat scorches away the vegetation that holds the earth together, once-stable hillsides become vulnerable to collapse.

Heavy rains—once welcomed in fire zones—now pose a deadly risk. Without tree roots and plant cover, the charred soil turns into fast-moving mud and debris, endangering homes, roads, and lives downstream. Experts warn that the erosion and mudslides that follow can be as devastating as the fires themselves.

California, soil erosion, wildfire aftermath, fire-damaged soil, climate change, environmental disaster, U.S.A. Mike Kirsch, erosion, climate impact, Americas Now, Features