Note: First few minutes of presentation not available in recording above.

Wildfires in the western United States have become increasingly more common. They burn through forests, damage the ecology and threaten property and lives. Even the careful science of tackling fire with fire can have implications for the environment and public health.

Members and guests joined us on Aug. 2 at the Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory in Fremont for an evening with wildfire researchers.

We heard from Dr. Morgan Varner, a biological scientist and forester whose research centers on fuels and combustion science and the effects of fire on landscape ecology. And we also learned about the role of weather and climate in changes to ecosystems that influence wildfires from Dr. Sim Larkin, a climate scientist who develops tools to help plan and manage fire operations and smoke. Other lab members were also on hand, with research posters on display and fire science model and simulation demos.

After the event, we moved to The Red Door for eats, drinks and further discussion with the wildfire researchers.

Below you’ll find a list of resources on the topic: