Reminder that the call for proposals for the Beneficial Fire Summit is OPEN! 🔥Proposals for special sessions, workshops and meetings, events and activities, and oral and poster presentations are being reviewed on a rolling basis https://beneficialfiresummit.org/call-for-proposals/

There's an OMB rule change that would require political oversight of scientific grants, and could pull any that don't "reflect presidential priorities" Another country has tried this before! It was the USSR and it was called Lysenkoism. By @thsaey.bsky.social www.sciencenews.org/article/omb-...

Here’s what happens when you put politicians in charge of science

Proposed federal rules would rely on political appointees to decide how a lot of U.S. science gets done. History shows the consequences of such actions.

sciencenews.org

As part of my Univ. of California role, I'm conducting a (brief) recurring annual survey regarding my weather and climate-related public communication. We want to make sure we're reaching the broadest possible audience, so please consider participating!

We stand with the wildland fire community to remember, honor, and mourn those who have died in the line of duty. July 2 is National Wildland Firefighter day, and we honor all of the members of the wildland firefighting community today and every day.

If you have already completed this survey since September 2025, thank you! There's no need to fill it out again right now--but please do consider doing so again next year, since it's helpful for us to obtain longitudinal data!. :)

Today's "ask me anything" live session on El Niño was recorded and is now available! There were far more excellent questions than I could answer in even 90 minutes, so I'll have additional live AMA session this summer! Stay tuned. www.youtube.com/live/blLHZdh...

Special Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session on El Niño and its local-to-global scale consequences!

YouTube video by Weather West

youtube.com

Okay, folks: The big El Niño update is now out on Weather West! This sure looks like it's going to be a dramatic year from a global climate perspective, and there are major implications for extreme events (across California, the U.S. West, & well beyond).

Special update: Rising odds of a strong-to-historic El Niño event in 2026, with growing likelihood of significant regional-to-global scale impacts - Weather West

June 11, 2026 - Daniel Swain - A quick refresher: What is El Niño and how can it affect global weather patterns? El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a semi-regular recurring cycle that transfers vast amounts of heat and momentum from the tropical Pacific to the global atmosphere. It is triggered every 3–7 years when the #

weatherwest.com

Fire season is pretty much here. If you haven’t already, do the yard work. Clear flammable material away from your house. Make sure the roof is clear. Do it for you and your family. Do it so your house isn’t the one that burns your neighborhood down.

Daniel Swain@weatherwest.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I would expect fire season across the interior West to kick into high gear quite soon, with at least 6 consecutive upcoming days or critical or near-critical fire weather (a mix of hot, dry, windy, plus some dry lightning) aligning with widespread severe to extreme drought.

In case you missed it live, you can now view the full recording of this lively discussion on how/where to find timely, nuanced, and accurate wildfire-related information in the 2020s. Thanks to UC ANR Fire Network for hosting!

Fire Savvy: Finding And Navigating Fire Information in California Webinar

As fire season ramps up, you may wonder how and where to find accurate, up-to-date fire information. The information space has evolved and grown in recent years, providing a richer set of resources, but also making it difficult to navigate and compare the available options. Join UC ANR Fire Networ

youtube.com

I say this every time someone talks about new detection tech. We don’t need better detection- we need consistent funding for more resilient communities. We also need to stop basing new requirements on dynamic criteria like hazard level.

Danielle Venton@dventon.bsky.social · 3mo ago

“Nobody is going to save California from our [past] decisions ... The state has to really step in and be more strategic about how to make things happen faster” The answer isn't more firefighters, faster detection. It's making neighborhoods less primed to burn 🏘️🔥 www.kqed.org/science/2000...

Join us on Thu, May 21 for a virtual event on how and where to find accurate & timely wildfire information amid an evolving information landscape. Featuring Kevin Fetterman (Watch Duty), Zeke Lunder (The Lookout), & Daniel Swain (@ucanr.edu). surveys.ucanr.edu/su...

Sequoiadendron giganteum, one of my favorite trees. Fire scars and Indigenous knowledge both indicate the need for #goodfire in giant sequoia ecosystems. Happy #arborday

Calling all community scientists! The #GSOB Blitz is back! Help protect CA’s oak trees by spotting the invasive goldspotted oak borer (#GSOB). No experience needed. April 22–May 22 📍 SoCal counties 👉 Register: gsob.org Spots fill fast—join the hunt!

Volunteers are helping detect sudden oak death “Last year we had 5 outbreaks detected," said Matteo Garbelotto. "We had to revisit those locations where the volunteers went and resample everything. All were confirmed as NA2.” @montereycountynow.com #SOD www.montereycountynow.com/news/local_n...

A new variant of the sudden oak death pathogen has arrived, discovered by community scientists.

Sudden oak death is not obvious, and the name is slightly misleading. The pathogen Phytophthora ramorum has troubled California biologists for decades, attacking trees from within, typically using bay...

montereycountynow.com

"Decolonize scientific institutions, don’t just diversify them Indigenous scholars set out eight steps to stop marginalization in academia and to enable a shared Indigenous agenda in science" www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Decolonize scientific institutions, don’t just diversify them

Indigenous scholars set out eight steps to stop marginalization in academia and to enable a shared Indigenous agenda in science.

nature.com

Sometimes it’s good to recharge with better office views… I do love my field days. Site of a future #Rxburn

Contra Costa Resource Conservation District hosts the "California Wildfire in a Warming Climate" #webinar. Daniel Swain breaks down the link between weather, climate, & wildfire, & where CA adaptation is working (and where it’s not). @weatherwest.bsky.social us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Feeling a surge of hope for humanity (it’s all relative) after watching this… #culturalfire youtu.be/RIUM4UWYBro

Bringing Fire Back to the People: Cultural Burning with a New Generation

YouTube video by Fire Learning Network

youtu.be

Just a reminder that the heat wave affecting the central coast right now is making a lot of fuels available to burn that weren’t just a week ago… Take care when working with potential ignition sources (camp fires, welding, mowing, heavy equipment, etc.) #fireprevention

Heads up that fuels that haven’t been “available” to burn in recent months WILL become available soon. This means things like fireworks or campfires that aren’t completely out are high risk, even in March! #wildfiredanger

Daniel Swain@weatherwest.bsky.social · 5mo ago

All signs continue to point to an exceptional, long-duration, and record-breaking to (in some cases) record-shattering March heatwave initially centered across U.S. Southwest but expanding to much broader region next week. This is effectively a full-on summer heatwave in March.

Ready to learn about forestry & wildfire resilience? Join California Tree School this spring! Paradise (Butte Co.) – April 18 Eureka (Humboldt Co.) – May 2 Hands-on classes w/ experts from UC ANR, @calfire.bsky.social & partners Register ➡️ https://ucanr.edu/blog/green-blog/article/tree-school-2026

Tree School covering forestry, wildfire resilience offered in Butte, Humboldt counties | Green Blog

Learn about forestry, fire and natural resources concepts in Paradise in Butte County on April 18 and in Eureka in Humboldt County on May 2.

ucanr.edu

Join us for the California Targeted Grazing Short Course! Register by February 13, 2026 at the link in our bio.

www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/...

Emergency Encounters for Illness During and After the Los Angeles Wildfires:

jacc.org

Happy PBA takeover day at #FireCon2025! Thank you to today's excellent plenary speakers! If you're attending the conference, hopefully you've been able to attend some of great PBA-related sessions on the schedule 🔥

New article alert 🚨 for the #FireEcology Journal! "Indigenous stewardship rights and opportunities to recenter Indigenous fire" #SNFECO 🔥 Read it here: https://fireecology.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s42408-025-00393-0

Community members & press are invited to observe prescribed burns during the Forester Prescribed Fire Training Exchange, Oct. 26–Nov. 1 in El Dorado County. Observation days: Oct. 28–29 (sign-up required). Learn about “good fire” & forest resilience: bit.ly/3J4EmdC

Community invited to observe prescribed fire training in El Dorado County | Green Blog

California’s second Forester Prescribed Fire Training Exchange event will occur Oct. 26–Nov. 1 near Georgetown, El Dorado County. The public is invited to observe scheduled burns.

bit.ly

What a great day at the 2nd Annual Central Coast Good Fire Fair in Felton! This is what #goodfire looks like… Thank you to all who came and contributed! #goodfirefair California State Parks, @calfire.bsky.social @ucanr.edu

Last plug to join us at the Central Coast Good Fire Fair this Saturday Oct 11 from 10am to 3pm. It’s looking promising for our demonstration burn in the redwoods 🔥 We’ll also have fun activities for kids and adults, food trucks, prizes, and more… #goodfire

🔥The Central Coast Good Fire Fair is back! Join us on Sat, Oct 11, at Henry Cowell Redwoods SP for learning, demos & family fun. Meet the people who use fire to restore & protect our landscapes—CA State Parks, CAL FIRE, Indigenous groups, & the Central Coast PBA.

Nice burns at Wilder Ranch State Park today! They did a great job building heat on this unit by lighting upper and lower slope to bring two flaming fronts together. Objectives include killing/limiting coyote brush and maintaining grasslands. #RxFire