Museum Lecture on the 2003 Fires
Richard Minnich, a professor in the Earth Sciences Department at the University of California, Riverside will discuss “The Fires of 2003: What Should We Learn? What Can We Do?” at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands on Wednesday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. This guest lecture is open to the public at no charge.
The “Old Fire” and the “Grand Prix” fires burned through the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, powered by Santa Ana winds and dense chaparral. When the winds finally changed direction, fire burned into mountain communities. The fires consumed more than 161,000 acres. More than 1000 homes were destroyed. Six lives were lost. These two devastating human-caused fires led to the largest evacuation in San Bernardino County’s history. Could it happen again? Can fires in chaparral be prevented? Should they be?
Dr. Minnich is a professor in the Earth Sciences Department at the University of California, Riverside. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and specializes in biogeography and fire ecology. His research interests include fire ecology of southern California, Baja California, and temperate Mexico; exotic plant invasions; and climate change. His recent projects include fire history and vegetation dynamics in the Sierra San Pedro Martir; changes in the coastal sage scrub of the Riverside/Perris plain; fire and post-fire succession in the Mojave Desert; and Holocene fire occurrence in the Mojave Desert.
The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org or call (909) 307-2669 / TDD/TTY: (909) 792-1462. The San Bernardino County Museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is (909) 307-2669 ext. 229 / TDD/TTY: (909) 792-1462.