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International Journal of Wildland Fire International Journal of Wildland Fire Society
Journal of the International Association of Wildland Fire

Establishing Directions in Postfire Debris-Flow Science

The science of post-wildfire debris flows has evolved rapidly over the past few decades as wildfires have become more frequent, larger, and more severe, impacting human health and the developed landscape. Post-wildfire debris flow science encompasses a wide variety of fields, including hydrology, geomorphology, engineering, remote sensing, atmospheric science, ecology, and data science. This Collection is intended to bring together a diverse set of publications that advance postfire debris flow science, focusing on future directions. We are particularly interested in cross-disciplinary approaches, modeling studies, and field studies that highlight new work that fills in gaps in postfire debris flow knowledge.

Last Updated: 10 Jul 2025

WF24225Predicting potential postfire debris-flow hazards across California prior to wildfire

Rebecca K. Rossi 0000-0003-4482-8451, Paul W. Richardson, David B. Cavagnaro, Stefani G. Lukashov, Mary Ellen Miller and Donald N. Lindsay

Map of California showing the annual probability of fire followed by rainfall which exceeds the modeled postfire debris-flow threshold.

Destructive postfire debris flows triggered by short-duration bursts of high-intensity rainfall and excessive runoff within 3 years following fire continue to impact California. Using a simplified wildfire scenario, we predicted potential postfire debris-flow hazards statewide. We suggest the maps are useful for identifying areas that pose the greatest postfire geohazards.

This article belongs to the collection: Establishing Directions in Postfire Debris-Flow Science.

WF24163Mobile radar provides insights into hydrologic responses in burn areas

Jonathan J. Gourley 0000-0001-7363-3755, Yagmur Derin, Pierre-Emmanuel Kirstetter, John W. Fulton, Laura A. Hempel and Braden White

Experimental instruments were placed in a burnt area and captured rainfall and extreme hydrologic responses, which is a challenging endeavor with conventional observing networks. Rainfall estimation from a mobile weather radar was shown to be as accurate as rain gauges, with the ability to resolve spatial rainfall fields.

This article belongs to the collection: Establishing Directions in Postfire Debris-Flow Science.