New software lets national parks in the Mojave Desert quickly assess fire damage — and plan for recovery.
New software lets national parks in the Mojave Desert quickly assess fire damage — and plan for recovery.
By Maya L. Kapoor
Joshua trees in Joshua Tree National Park.
Emily Hassell/National Park Service
August 5, 2026
California lost as many as 1.3 million Joshua trees in the 2020 Dome Fire; new software now helps park managers target recovery after wildfires
In 2013, California’s Rim Fire burned across the Sierra Nevada; more than a decade later, crews are planting 125,000 trees, including giant sequoias, across parts of the burn scar
In 2024, helicopters delivered 3,800 giant sequoia seedlings seven miles into California wilderness; replanting a 48-acre burn scar considered unlikely to recover naturally
California's Ranch Fire burned 459,123 acres in 53 days; eight years later, crews planted 71,000 seedlings across the scar in eight days
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Researchers tracked wildfires from 1984 to 2022; a Pacific trend added 22% to US Southwest drying-related burned area but reduced eastern Australia’s by about 19%
California lost as many as 1.3 million Joshua trees when the 43,000-acre (17,400-hectare) Dome Fire burned through the Mojave…
UC Berkeley researchers are creating virtual simulations of the Lower Pajaro River Valley to better integrate ecology, climate…
Many of Southern California’s plants and animals evolved with fire as part of their life cycles. Can they weather the worsening…
New UC Berkeley-led research indicates that continued climate change could severely increase wildfire above natural levels in…
Understanding how wildfire spreads through communities
Berkeley is adopting the ‘Zone 0’ regulation, which mandates first 5ft around the home in high-risk areas should be clear of…
