Wildfire response: A system on the brink?

Abstract

As society grapples with increasing wildfire damage to landscapes and communities, the capacity of the interagency system in the USA designed to protect landscapes and communities from wildfires is degrading. A stressed system will be less capable of protecting life, property, and resources, and increased workloads will likely increase hazards to fire personnel and amplify existing problems with recruitment and retention. We argue that solutions are attainable through increased attention to performance and through more anticipatory, adaptive, and intelligent deployment of fire personnel across fire incidents and around the country.

Citation

Thompson, Matthew P.; Belval, Erin J.; Bayham, Jude; Calkin, David E.; Stonesifer, Crystal S.; Flores, David. 2023. Wildfire response: A system on the brink? Journal of Forestry. 2023: 121-124.