Expert Testimony of Dr. Laurie Alsafar - Dip Fire Analysis

What is the professional background and institutional affiliation of Dr. Laurie Alsafar?

Dr. Laurie Alsafar is a plant scientist and a faculty member in the Department of Horticulture & Plant Sciences at Midlands State University.

Who retained Dr. Laurie Alsafar as an expert for the Dip Fire case, and what was their role?

Dr. Alsafar was retained by the defendant, MG&E (Midlands Gas and Electric Company), to evaluate the role of vegetation, drought conditions, and weather in the ignition and spread of the Dip Fire.

What academic degrees does Dr. Laurie Alsafar hold, and from which institutions?

A Bachelor of Science in Botany from Midlands State University, a Masters in Horticulture from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from the University of California, Davis.

What was the specific topic of Dr. Laurie Alsafar's Ph.D. dissertation at the University of California, Davis?

The dissertation examined volatile oil content and flammability of Mediterranean-climate shrubs.

On what date was Dr. Laurie Alsafar's formal expert report prepared for this case?

August 15, 2026.

What is Dr. Laurie Alsafar's scope of practice, and what task does Dr. Alsafar specifically not perform in fire investigations?

Dr. Alsafar examines the flammability, condition, and surrounding weather of plants to assess ignition likelihood and fire behavior, but does not trace a fire's origin and cause by reconstructing its path.

How many times had Dr. Laurie Alsafar served as a litigation expert prior to this case?

$11$ times prior to this case, all for MG&E, including trial testimony in $4$ of those cases.

What laboratory tests and drought index does Dr. Laurie Alsafar use to evaluate fuels?

Oven-dry gravimetric testing to measure live-fuel moisture, dry weight evaluation of volatile-oil content, time-to-ignition testing under a heat-bench source, and the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI).

When did Dr. Laurie Alsafar visit the scene of the Dip Fire?

March 22, 2026.

What initial observations did Dr. Laurie Alsafar make during the March 22, 2026 site visit?

Burned fuels had turned to ash, ground was dry from seasonal changes, unburned vegetation was present along Dip Road and under the right-of-way corridor, with evidence of insect-driven dieback and about $10$ nesting structures in surviving shrubs.

What volatile oil content and time-to-ignition under radiant heat were found for the drought-conditioned chamise samples?

The drought-conditioned chamise contained about $5\%$ volatile oil and ignited in approximately $8\text{ seconds}$ under radiant heat.

What are fine fuels, and how do they respond to ambient weather?

Fine fuels are $1\text{-hour}$ fuels such as grasses, leaves, and twigs under $\frac{1}{4}\text{ inch}$ in thickness that dry out quickly and absorb moisture rapidly in response to humidity and rain.

How much rain