Sept. 23 - Where There's Smoke There's Fire: Wildfire in the American West

Presenter: Ronald D. Quinn, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Ecology

I have been interested in wildfires all my life, having grown up in southern California. Over the course of my childhood, I watched all the vegetation on the surrounding mountains burn off, piece by piece. While studying biology I researched how plants and animals recover after fire on blackened hillsides, and for the past half century have written about these and other questions concerning fire ecology.

Why are the wildfires becoming larger, more frequent and more destructive in the Pacific Northwest? I will review with you the causes of today’s growing loss of lives and property from wildland fires. We will talk about how better public and private planning practices can reduce these mounting losses, and I will describe ways that individuals and communities can improve safety from wildland fires, and will include sources for more detailed information.