January 13, 2025

UOW expert commentary: LA fires

Research community concerned similar fires could occur in Australia

University of Wollongong (UOW) bushfire expert Associate Professor Owen Price said climate change has almost certainly played a role in the current fires in California, and there is a risk of similar fires in Australia.

“California experiences these Santa Ana wind-driven fires regularly,” Associate Professor Price said. “But they have been getting more frequent, more severe and pushing later into the winter months in recent times, almost certainly due to climate change.”

Associate Professor Price said there are several regions of the world where highly flammable vegetation abuts urban areas, including Australia.

“California is probably the most exposed, but many of our major cities have this problem including Hobart, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Major disasters occur when there is drought, high winds, and a fire starts near one of these urban areas.”

Associate Professor Price said the research community and some Australian fire agencies are terrified of the prospect of one of these fires punching through the first layer of houses and causing urban conflagration.

“This is exactly what’s happened in Los Angeles and it’s happened a few other times in the United States previously, for example the Lahaina fire in Hawaii in 2023. Strictly speaking it has never happened in Australia but it’s come close and we think it will happen one day, again largely because of climate change.”

Associate Professor Price is the Director of the Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfire at UOW.

UOW academics exercise academic freedom by providing expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing social issues and current affairs. This expert commentary reflects the views of those individual academics and does not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the University of Wollongong.