Wildfire experts, news and resources
Stanford scholars are investigating the causes, consequences and solutions connected with increasingly deadly and destructive wildfires in the western United States and beyond. Experts are available to discuss the intersections of wildfire and climate change, public health, insurance, and more. Details are below, along with recent news, discoveries, media coverage and events exploring wildfire risk factors, response, recovery and community resilience.
Recent News
CA Burning: LA Fires, climate & insurance

In this episode of the Stanford Legal podcast, Professor Deborah Sivas joins Pam Karlan for a discussion on California's fire crisis, examining how climate change and urban development are making residents more susceptible to the dangers of fires.
Expert Q&A: Assessing wildfire health risks

Stanford experts spanning the fields of environmental science, medicine, and public health discuss what we know about wildfires’ health impacts, what remains a mystery, and how communities can better protect themselves from the increasingly common threat.
Wildfire protection: social & economic disparities

Low-income communities in California are at a greater risk of suffering the consequences of wildfires – also because they are less well protected. This is the conclusion reached by an international research team at the University of Freiburg and Stanford University.
Preparing legislative staff to craft wildfire solutions

The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment recently hosted a first-of-its-kind “boot camp” in which congressional staffers got a crash course from experts in climate, forestry, fire science, utilities, insurance, and other wildfire-related topics.
Find an Expert
For assistance reaching scholars, contact Rob Jordan at rjordan@stanford.edu, or Chris Black at christineblack@stanford.edu
Michael Wara

Michael Wara focuses on climate and energy policy, with a special focus on California law and policy concerning wildfires and the utility industry, the firefighting workforce and insurance industry.
Chris Field

Chris Field focuses on the global carbon cycle and environmental risk reduction – including fire risk and frequency – to inform more equitable approaches to wildfire management.
Lisa Patel

Lisa Patel, M.D., is the lead author on Climate Resilient Schools: A Call to Action, a report detailing wildfire impacts on children’s health that has informed legislation in California.
Gabrielle Wong-Parodi

Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, a psychologist, has focused on the impacts of natural hazards and extreme events on individuals and communities coping with hurricanes and wildfires.
Wildfire Media Coverage
Site news
-
Michael Wara says incentivizing people to move away from environmentally hazardous areas is "largely theoretical," especially in places with booming economies.
-
Jessica Yu says the health risks associated with wildfires can persist for months afterward.
-
Michael Wara says being the insurance commissioner in California is "more of a ceremonial vehicle for political posturing than for crafting serious policy."
-
Michael Wara says we must "push back against politicization of disaster aid no matter where the disaster is."
-
California is proven to be at risk of wildfires, harming insurance rates. Michael Wara compares the state to "a drive that's had five car accidents."
-
Michael Wara's 2019 study identifying California's worst-case-scenario wildfire costs found three communities to be most at risk: Pacific Palisades, Moraga, and Orinda.
Videos

Catch up on wildfire-related policy briefings and interviews with Stanford experts.
Recent Wildfire Events
Wildfire Research Projects
Prevention Treatment

A preventive treatment developed by Stanford researchers led by Eric Appel involving an environmentally safe gel-like retardant provides season-long protection against wildfire ignitions.
Health Impacts of Wildfire

Researchers at Stanford's Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research and scholars from the Climate and Energy Policy Program study the health impacts from wildfire smoke.