Urban users of wildland areas as forest fire risks

Abstract

A telephone survey of 1500 households in metropolitan Los Angeles and San Francisco was made to (1) determine extent of wildland use by residents of the two metropolitan areas, reasons for non-use, and the characteristics of users; (2) describe and analyze activities, knowledge, and attitudes of users which may contribute to their fire risk; and (3) assess selected communication channels for conveying forest fire prevention information to the residents of metropolitan areas. Wildland use was more prevalent among San Francisco households, but otherwise households in the two areas were similar. Visitor and nonvisitor households differed markedly in socioeconomic characteristics. Visitors proved aware of the fire problem and in favor of fire prevention efforts, but showed gaps in knowledge of appropriate behavior in fire-fragile wildlands. Television and billboards were most frequently recalled sources of fire prevention messages. Radio was seldom mentioned.

Citation

Folkman, William S. 1979. Urban users of wildland areas as forest fire risks. Res. Pap. PSW-RP-137. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 22 p