Urban forests, fires, and communities: The “U” in Wildland-Urban Interface

The presentation discusses how wildfire-driven urban fire events are increasingly affecting highly urbanized neighborhoods in California and elsewhere. Dr. Francisco J. Escobedo shares research and findings on the changing socio-demographics of these communities, post-fire urban forest cover response, and the role of urban vegetation types on building loss during fire events. The adequacy of WUI guidelines and best management practices are also discussed.