In West Coast climates, fuel load management in forests and areas of heavy foliage is achieved through many means. Of these methods, prescribed burning is an effective and implementable approach used across the state of California to mitigate the risk of wildfires. Fire is a perpetual risk factor in the…
Yana Valachovic, a member of UC ANR's Fire Network with a specialty in community resilience and the built environment, visited the sites of the L.A. fires to look for examples where surviving homes withstood the ferocity of the fire and for signs of defensible space and home hardening in action.
As residents start to clean up after the Los Angeles County wildfires, the aftermath will continue to impact water and natural resources in and beyond the fire areas, according to water experts at University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Light rain is expected to dampen Southern California this weekend, easing fire conditions but also raising landslide risks in burn areas. It won't end local fire risk. The drizzle is enough to tamp down but not end fire season, says Daniel Swain, UC ANR climate scientist.