Can Satellites Spark a Solution to Wildfires?
Can Satellites Spark a Solution to Wildfires?
Wildfires are growing more intense, more frequent, and more destructive. This global threat is reshaping ecosystems, communities and lives. With a legacy of environmental innovation and a focus on climate resilience, UC Irvine is meeting the crisis head-on. From satellites that forecast fire risk to data models that map where smoke harms public health most, UC Irvine researchers are leading the way in wildfire science. Their work connects climate, technology, and equity, by bringing together earth system scientists and public health experts to protect communities across Orange County and beyond.
Jun Wu (left) and James Randerson
“Our findings demonstrate the importance of fostering community ties; collaborating with emergency services; and implementing multilingual, culturally sensitive education campaigns to boost risk perception and preparedness.”
- Jun Wu
“Our findings demonstrate the importance of fostering community ties; collaborating with emergency services; and implementing multilingual, culturally sensitive education campaigns to boost risk perception and preparedness.”
- Jun Wu
Jun Wu, professor of environmental and occupational health, researches how wildfire smoke disproportionately affects disadvantaged communities. Her work reveals critical gaps in access to information and resources, pointing to the need for tailored communication and preparedness strategies that better support at-risk populations.
Between February and April 2023, Wu's research team surveyed 115 individuals in four unincorporated communities in Eastern Coachella Valley who had experienced wildfires.
Sixty percent of surveyed residents earn less than $25,000 annually, underscoring economic vulnerability in wildfire-prone communities. Text messages and TV are the most trusted communication methods, with younger adults favoring social media and older adults relying on doctors. Residents recommend first responder training, Spanish-language outreach, evacuation guides and local watch groups to boost preparedness.
“Many students experience what you could call climate fatigue. So I try to frame our discussions to keep a balance between providing optimism for how we can transform things and reminding them how precious the time is that we have to accomplish those things.”
- James Randerson
“Many students experience what you could call climate fatigue. So I try to frame our discussions to keep a balance between providing optimism for how we can transform things and reminding them how precious the time is that we have to accomplish those things.”
- James Randerson
James Randerson, Chancellor’s Professor of Earth System Science at UC Irvine, is a nationally recognized expert in climate science and wildfire research. He advises the U.S. Department of Energy and collaborates with NASA on a $200 million satellite project to track wildfires worldwide in real time. His lab's work helps shape national climate strategies and offers tools to prevent catastrophic fire damage, which costs Western states tens of billions of dollars each year.
Randerson and his team are uncovering urgent climate threats that demand attention, such as larger and more frequent wildfires in the U.S. West; drought-damaged trees less able to store carbon or survive fires; lightning storms expected to increasingly spark fires across the Arctic tundra, releasing trapped carbon into the atmosphere; and the severity of climate change stunting economic growth and equity around the world.
He emphasizes the need for optimism and action, encouraging the next generation to lead with science and purpose.
Want to know how else UC Irvine is confronting the wildfire crisis? In UC Irvine Magazine’s latest issue, “Fire Knows No Season,” campus-wide efforts take center stage as researchers tackle climate-fueled fires from every angle. From ecological science to disaster response and public policy, UC Irvine experts are leading the charge in reducing wildfire impacts. Dive into the issue to see how their work is shaping a safer, more resilient future.
