Response and future readiness

Abstract

Over the past several decades, wildfire has become an increasingly costly and destructive natural hazard as a result of a combination of ecological and social factors, including climate change, decades of wildfire suppression on the landscape, and residential expansion into fire-prone vegetation (Fischer et al. 2016, Flannigan et al. 2013, Moritz et al. 2014). From 1999 to 2016, an average 1,449 residences were destroyed annually by wildland fire and billions of dollars spent on fire suppression. In response to the challenges of wildfire management, the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy advocates the creation of fire-adapted communities (FAC), communities that can coexist with wildfire because of their investments in education, vegetation thinning (i.e., reducing fuel), planning and management of the built environment, and appropriate suppression and emergency response (Fire Adapted Communities Coalition 2014) (Figure 1). The FAC program envisions a collaborative, iterative approach where residents, communities, and governments work to identify and implement needed wildfire risk reduction actions over time, as resources, threats, and opportunities change. Unlike other natural hazards, wildland vegetation management is a key part of preparing for and responding to wildfire, as vegetation is both a vulnerable resource and a source of risk.