One focus of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) is forestry, and a host of its researchers study the impacts of fire and fire suppression in California wildlands. This expertise is valued by the public and the news media in times when wildfires strike.
The 2017 fire season has been the most severe on record, due to a combustible combination of drought, rains, and especially, wind. “What really makes big years in terms of acres burned is essentially how many really windy days we have,” UCCE forestry specialist Bill Stewart told KPCC. Last year's wet winter, which led to increased vegetation, and this year's record-breaking heat waves aren't as indicative of fire danger as Santa Ana winds, known in Northern California as Diablo winds, Stewart said. “It's always dry. There's always fuel,” he said.
UC Cooperative Extension specialist Max Moritz said the state needs to incorporate wind corridors into its fire hazard severity zone maps, according to an article on ScienceMag.org. Stricter building codes apply in places designated as high-risk.
UC ANR scientists also generate local fire recovery and mitigation resources for the public in wildfire-prone counties.
Links to all the sites have been aggregated on a UC ANR story map - https://arcg.is/0SWyW8. This story map may be freely shared on websites and social media. (Find the share URL and the embed code by clicking the share icon on the upper right hand corner of the story map.)
Local UC Cooperative Extension fire resources websites listed on the story map are:
Northern California
UCCE Central Sierra fire resources
UCCE Mendocino County fire resources
UCCE Sonoma County fire resources
UCCE Sutter-Yuba counties fire resources
Central California
UCCE Mariposa County fire resources
UCCE San Luis Obispo County fire resources
Southern California
UCCE San Diego County fire resources
UCCE Santa Barbara County fire resources
The following general information on wildfire recovery is available for those who were directly impacted by the wildfire.
Homeowners guide to recovering from wildfire
Landowners guide to recovering from wildfire
Livestock, agriculture and natural resources guide to recovering from wildfire
Don't get burned twice (pdf)
Recovering from wildfire: A guide for California's forest landowners (pdf)
The site also provides information for those whose homes were spared in 2017, but now wish to take precautions to reduce the risk of wildfire damage in the future.
Homeowner's wildfire mitigation guide
Sustainable and fire-safe landscapes
Home survival in wildfire-prone areas (pdf)