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California chaparral and coastal sage scrub tend to be less flammable than the non-native grasses that replace them after they’re cleared away, said Alexandra Syphard, a research scientist and fire ecology expert at the Conservation Biology Institute.

Alexandra Syphard, senior research scientist at the Conservation Biology Institute in Oregon, said studies have shown, for instance, that California oaks are more capable of absorbing embers without igniting than staples such as eucalyptus and palm.

That’s because the Santa Monica mountains, Malibu canyons and other wildland areas near coastal Los Angeles generally burn too frequently, said Alexandra Syphard, senior research ecologist at the nonprofit Conservation Biology Institute and adjunct professor at San Diego State University.

While Santa Ana winds regularly occur at this time of year, these particularly strong gusts came through complex topography and terrain that can help them gain speed and funnel them in unpredictable ways, said Alexandra Syphard, senior research ecologist at the nonprofit Conservation Biology Institute and adjunct professor at San Diego State University.

“The grass-fire cycle is probably nowhere more apparent than it is in the Malibu Canyon of the Santa Monica Mountains,” said Alexandra Syphard, senior research scientist at the Conservation Biology Institute.