By Donna Hemmila

First there was the drought. Then the fire season hit, much earlier than Californians expected this year. By the end of June, more than 1,450 wildfires were burning in California. The flames have consumed nearly 380,000 acres.

UC faculty are at the center of the state's wildfire research -- studying the effects of global warming, land management and firefighting practices -- with institutions including the UC Berkeley Center for Fire Research and Outreach, UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the UC Merced-based Sierra Nevada Research Institute and the UC Davis-based California Institute for Hazards Research. Here is a sample of their research and opinions.

Fighting fire with fire may be the solution

Richard Minnich, professor of geography, UC Riverside earth sciences department

Fire fuels emotions

Donald Turcotte, distinguished professor of geology, UC Davis

Anthony Westerling, assistant professor of environmental engineering, and geography, UC Merced; principal investigator, California Applications Program and Climate Change Center at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Aussie rural fire brigades defend themselves

Scott Stephens, associate professor of fire sciences, UC Berkeley; co-director, Center for Fire Research and Outreach

View all

For more information:

Additional UC wildfire experts

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources wildfire online media kit

California Institute for Hazards Research

UC Berkeley Center for Fire Research and Outreach

Donna Hemmila is editor of Your University. This article first appeared in the July edition of Your University.