California’s wildfire seasons are no longer just “bad” - they’re becoming exceptional. Half of the state’s largest wildfires have ignited in just the last few years, with 2020 alone rewriting the record books.

In wildfire science, much of the focus falls on towering flames and dramatic fire fronts. But beneath the surface - literally and figuratively - lurks a slower, often-overlooked threat

In the wake of California’s devastating 2012–2016 drought, over 100 million trees died across the Sierra Nevada. While much attention has focused on the immediate impacts of this mass tree mortality