Before the flames: California WUI residents’ understanding of fire weather warnings and personal preparation around wildfire

Abstract

Advance preparation for wildfire is essential for safe evacuation, and fire weather warnings can alert people to times of high fire danger when additional actions are recommended. However, little is known about the level of preparation of most wildland-urban interface (WUI) community residents, and potential influences on them carrying out preparatory actions. This study assessed the personal preparation undertaken by residents of California, United States, communities, including understanding of and response to fire weather warnings issued by the National Weather Service. We used a mixed-mode approach to survey 16 WUI communities across the state. There was a total of 326 respondents, with preparation and awareness varying substantially between modes. Although most respondents had a go bag and/or an evacuation plan, only around half had ever prepared for wildfire based on a red flag warning. Awareness and correct interpretation of the fire weather warnings were very high; and the main confusion was between a ‘fire weather watch’ and a ‘red flag warning’, likely reflecting different uses of ‘watch’ and ‘warning’ for other natural hazards. However, many respondents had not seen these warnings in a language other than English. The perceived risk of, and previous experience with, wildfire were significant influences on preparation, suggesting that outreach on actual risk could be beneficial. Overall, although results suggest moderate levels of preparation, there is still room for improvement. Any essential preparation not done in advance can delay evacuation, which is concerning given increased occurrences of fast-moving wildfires near or in densely populated areas.

Citation

Thomas, Alyssa S.; Schlickman, Emily E.; Trujillo-Falcón, Joseph E. 2025. Before the flames: California WUI residents’ understanding of fire weather warnings and personal preparation around wildfire. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 120: 105396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105396.