What happens when a wildfire reaches a neighborhood? As California’s housing boom continues, more development is taking place in fire-prone areas along the boundary between wildlands and residential communities — where wildfire behavior becomes harder to predict. While wildfire science has long focused on how flames move through forests, far less is known about how they spread through homes and built environments. UC Berkeley mechanical engineering professor Michael Gollner and his team are developing models that bridge this gap by simulating fire spread through both vegetation and structures. Their work improves predictions of wildfire behavior in these complex settings and supports more informed strategies for reducing risk. By capturing this transition more accurately, the research helps inform strategies to reduce risk and better protect homes when wildfires strike. “Dr. Gollner’s research has really given Berkeley a theoretical grounding to operationalize this initiative,” sa...