The Berkeley Fire Research Lab, led by Associate Professor Michael J. Gollner, develops physics-based understanding of fire to address some of the most urgent societal challenges — wildfire risk, public safety, air quality, and climate.
Using a combination of laboratory experiments, field measurements, and numerical modeling, we study how fire starts, spreads, and interacts with the built and natural environment. Our work spans from the fundamental fluid mechanics and heat transfer governing a flame to applied tools that help communities prepare for and recover from fire.
We are part of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and affiliated with the Combustion and Fire Processes Laboratory led by Prof. Carlos Fernandez-Pello.