Arthur F. Pillsbury; Warned of Brush Fires’ Impact

Arthur F. Pillsbury, 86, a UCLA professor emeritus whose research in hydrology made him among the first to warn of the flood and erosion damage that results from brush fires. An orphan, he was raised by his uncle, Arthur C. Pillsbury, the originator of time-lapse photography, and joined the UCLA faculty in 1934. He became chairman of the department of irrigation and soil sciences, head of the engineering systems division and director of the water resources center. He also was a consultant to the World Bank working on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on water quality programs for various nations. Among his many honors was a 1977 award from the American Society of Civil Engineers for his studies of drainage system engineering and environmental resources management. On April 12 in Goleta.