Getting Through It: After the Fires #12

After a wildfire, the impact on the geography of the burnt area undergoes changes due to not only the clearing of vegetation and structures, but also the change that happen due to the extreme heat. These impacts create conditions where debris flows can be especially intense in the months and years …

Continuing to look at air quality and its impact, Dr. Qiao Yu of UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health joins to talk about his work with CAPLA and what it means for the safety of returning to areas impacted by the wildfire airborne contaminants.  The findings report can be found here.

In this episode, Dr. Jones shares insights on the California policy of “Zone Zero,” related to 5 feet of clearance around houses in high fire risk zones to protect them from future fire risk. She offers her interpretation of the science around this policy and what it means for Southern California.

Studying atmospheric chemistry at Caltech, Haroula Baliaka joins the podcast to talk about her research into air quality through her work as the lead for the PHOENIX project, which launched in January 2025. She shares what her research found in the burn areas and how it compares to the pollutants t…