Library Guides: Cuesta College Book of the Year: 2025

Climate Change: Is It Real?

NASA, The Causes of Climate Change

BBC, What is climate change? A really simple guide

EPA, California Prepares for Increased Wildfire Risk to Air Quality From Climate Change

UC Davis, Climate Change Definitions

Union of Concerned Scientists Climate Impacts

The Threat of Fire

Castleman, Terry. ""Study finds wildfires are spreading and intensifying faster." LATimes.

Impact of Wildfire on Agriculture

Lee, G. "Impact of Smoke from Wildfire and Agricultural Burning on Farmworker Health and Behavior." UC Davis, 2024.
Information about public health and labor. PDF of scholarly article that provides a detailed analysis of a survey of California grape growers and wine makers that was done to gain more information about the kind of wildfire resources available to producers and how wildfire risk impacts operational management choices.
Pinzón, Natalia, Ryan E. Galt, Leslie M. Roche, Tracy Schohr, Brian Shobe, Vikram Koundinya, Katie Brimm, and Jacob Powell. 2025. “Farming and Ranching through Wildfire: Producers’ Critical Role in Fire Risk Management and Emergency Response.” California
Farming and ranching through wildfire: Producers’ critical role in fire risk management and emergency response. Wildfires increasingly threaten California’s agricultural sector, posing serious risks to farming, ranching, and food systems.
Zakowski, Emily, et al. "California Wine Grape Growers Need Support to Manage Risks from Wildfire and Smoke." California Agriculture, 2023.
A detailed analysis of a survey of California grape growers and wine makers that was done to gain more information about the kind of wildfire resources available to producers and how wildfire risk impacts operational management choices.

Fire Activity Maps

Cal Fire Incidents Map
Cal Fire's main webpage with up-to-date information about wildfires in California.

BLM (Bureau of Land Management) California Wildfire Dashboard (Public)
The Bureau of Land Management's public wildfire information page. Shows details of incidents within the last 24 hours.

Fire Activity Map
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Activity Map.

Disclaimer: If you are in immediate threat of fire, check your local law enforcement agency website or call them directly. If your local agency provides a map with any of this information - use their map for evacuation information!

Book of the Year, 2025

$20 General Admission

Students Free (students tickets available by emailing cuestabook@cuesta.edu)

To purchase tickets, visit

TICKETS.CUESTA.EDU

Meet The Author

Photo credit: Marissa Leshno

Daniel Gumbiner’s new novel, Fire in the Canyon, was a finalist for the California Book Awards and was also named a New Yorker Best Book of the Year. His first book, The Boatbuilder, was nominated for the National Book Award and a finalist for the California Book Awards. He is the Editor of The Believer and lives in Oakland, CA.

“Daniel Gumbiner is fast becoming a sort of 21st century Steinbeck, authoritatively illuminating life in California, with all its glories and calamity. filled with vivid characters and deep knowledge of the land this is a commanding second novel.”- Dave Eggers, author of The Circle

California Wildfire Resources

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Fire Science and Regional Fire Ecology information

CalFire Statistics
Find up-to-date statistics on CA wildfires and CAL FIRE activity.

USDA Offers Disaster Assistance to California Farmers and Livestock Producers Impacted by Wildfires and Drought
USDA informational page regarding the 2021 decision to aid CA farmers and livestock producers whose livelihoods have been impacted by wildfire and drought. This webpage contains many helpful hyperlinks to other government websites containing related information.

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CaOES)
Wildfire Recovery: Support and Resources, 2025

Fire Museums

Cal Fire Museum
Historical Society and Museum of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The CalFire Museum is located at 3875 Genevieve Street in San Bernardino, CA. Founded and run by retired firefighters, the CalFire museum is home to an extensive collection of photographs, reference textbooks, forestry papers, annual reports, and many other primary sources all related to California fire history.

Los Angeles County Fire Museum

The LA Fire Museum is located at 16400 Bellflower Boulevard in Bellflower, CA. It is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9am to 2pm. Their collections include fire-related apparatuses, artifacts, and photographs. The Los Angeles County Fire Museum is a private 501(c)(3) non profit corporation.

Read the Book

Fire in the Canyon by Daniel Gumbiner
ISBN: 9781662602429
Publication Date: 2023-10-03
Book available at both Cuesta campus Libraries and online. Click the image above to access eBook.

National Book Award nominee Daniel Gumbiner crafts a novel about a California grape-grower, his family, and the climate disaster that upends their quiet lives. This is a story about grape growing and wine, financial and familial struggles, and the peculiar characters and unlikely heroes one will always find in small-town California. Through the experiences of the Hechts and the escalating challenges that face their community, Fire in the Canyon is an intimate look at the lives of those already living through the climate crisis.

About the Author: Interviews, Awards, Latest Work

Podcast

Gabe Hudson, author and podcaster, talks to Daniel Gumbiner about his new novel "Fire in the Canyon," Kurt Vonnegut, climate crisis, building community, and why making art is good for us. (1:01:05)