The largest wildfires in California’s history have all happened within the past five years, engulfing California in an endless wildfire season.

In the short term, wildfires can have a huge impact on people's lives, social networks, and the landscapes on which they depend. Yet the long term economic, environmental, and health impacts are often equally disastrous. In this context, mitigating the risks of wildfires may not enough.

To combat these climate-driven disasters, we need to better define and identify vulnerability, risk, and exposure, and to reimagine our relationship to the environment through narrative, history, art, and philosophy. Rebuilding and reimagining our communities, however, requires understanding the root causes of California’s endless wildfires and the systems that bring about wildfire vulnerability.

By bringing together interdisciplinary scholars and those on the front lines of wildfire management, this virtual panel explored why fires are getting worse, who is being impacted the most, and what we can do about it.

Panelists:

• Josh Fryday, California’s Chief Service Officer for the Governor, leading service, volunteer, and civic engagement efforts throughout California
• Katie McConnell, Yale PhD Candidate working on wildfire research
• Bryant Baker, Conservation Director at Los Padres ForestWatch
• Michael Méndez, Assistant Professor of Social Ecology at UC-Irvine

The panel was moderated by CCEP Faculty Fellow, Nicole Lambrou