Cal Fire Says It’s Focusing on Fire Prevention; But Critics Say Current Efforts Leave State Vulnerable to More Mega Fires
Across California, fire prevention is divvied up among a variety of agencies, including local governments. Dr. Bill Stewart, a forest economics and policy expert at UC Berkeley, says Cal Fire is in a unique position to take the lead statewide.
A fire's first, fatal hours: A monster firestorm became unstoppable almost as soon as it started
The fires awed Bill Stewart, a UC Berkeley forestry professor.
Wildfire and post-wildfire resources from UCANR and beyond
While no amount of preparation will can remove 100% of risk, UC Cooperative Extension has an assortment of materials regarding pre- and post-wildfire information. We will do our best to provide links to where to get the most up-to-date information, and if readers know of better information, we are happy to update it. This list should not be considered exhaustive, but we hope it will be helpful.
Nota: Recursos para desastres naturales en español estan disponible aquí
Norcal fires: Conditions perfect for blaze
“Sonoma has the most fragmented rural landscape in terms of scattered homes in California” with “lots and lots of two- to five-acre residential parcels in the hills,” said Bill Stewart, co-director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Forestry and Center f
Spending more on fire suppression won’t reduce losses
Center co-director Dr. Scott Stephens: "As a society, we have attempted to accommodate some of the natural hazards inherent to the landscapes that we inhabit.
Where and how to get fire information
Over 22 fires are currently burning in California. These fires have wreaked havoc on homes and communities. In the information age, we expect everything to be instant, yet finding such information on wildfires can be surprisingly difficult.
![[news image] Blodgett in snow by Ariel Thomson](https://forests.berkeley.edu/sites/forests.berkeley.edu/files/styles/news_river/public/20180126_084503.jpg?itok=gPW_seQr "[news image] Blodgett in snow by Ariel Thomson")
Action Needed to Improve Health of California’s Headwater Forests
“Actions to arrest the decline in forest health will take place far from urban centers,” said Van Butsic, a coauthor of the report and a forestry expert with UC Berkeley’s cooperative extension.