Meeting to Discuss Climate Change and Wildfires, October 18, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.

Climate Change and Wildfires  

Contrary to some recent opinions, the Santa Barbara front is still very much at risk of catastrophic wildfire, despite the extent of the record 2017 Thomas Fire and other recent extreme wildfires in the region. Recent increases in fire size and severity have been attributed to climate change, which is projected to continue, producing more extreme fire activity in the decades to come. Given these projections, what can homeowners and communities do to protect lives and property?  

This discussion will be presented by Dr. Crystal Kolden.  Dr. Kolden will cover the science of how climate change alters wildfire seasons and impacts the different types of wildfires in the region.  She will also discuss the types of mitigation strategies that have been successful in recent wildfires, both for individual homeowners and for communities.  

The Climate Change & Wildfire discussion will be held on Thursday, October 18th, 2018 at the Montecito Fire Protection District Headquarters, 595 San Ysidro Road at 5:30 p.m.  

Dr. Crystal Kolden is an Associate Professor of Fire Science, Director of the Pyrogeography Lab at the University of Idaho, and a former wildland firefighter for the US Forest Service in California. She conducts research on wildfire disasters and how to mitigate them, and has published over 50 scientific articles on wildfires.  

All stakeholders including property owners, residents, local agencies, organizations, associations, business owners, community leaders and interested public members are encouraged to attend these meetings.