Davis, I. P., Haugo, R. D., Robertson, J.C. & Levin, P. S. (2018). The unequal vulnerability of communities of color to wildfire. PLOS ONE, 13 (11), e0205825. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6214520/
Davis, Haugo, Robertson, and Levi (2018) conducted a study to explore communities vulnerable to wildfires. The study found that inequality in the ethnic and geographic distribution in communities may be contributing to fire hazards. The analysis is based on a social-ecological approach and compares them to landscape and socioeconomic characteristics of mainly affected communities. The results show that Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans are 50% more vulnerable than Whites. Fire-prone areas are those with poor infrastructure and less equipped to respond to such hazards. The results will inform the planning team to identify disparities existing in communities to plan on how to address them to prevent wildfires in the long-term.
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Palaiologou, P., Ager, A., Nielsen-Pincus, M., Eversc, C. & Day, M. (2019). Social vulnerability to large wildfires in the western USA. Landscape and Urban Planning, 189 , 66-116. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_journals/2019/rmrs_2019_palaiologou_p001.pdf
The study quantified the probability of wildfire exposures to socially vulnerable communities by examining their land tenures. The study conducted a simulation to examine fire transmission behaviors to comprehend spatial variations to understand the effects of land tenures in different communities in relation to wildfires. The results found that national forest lands, wildland-urban interface, and private lands are the mainland tenures affected by wildfires. The tenures are mainly affected when characterized by the high social vulnerability. The research will inform the research in guiding planners with social conditions and how they influence wildfires. The understanding will enable them to incorporate social strategies in their fire management approaches to attain a specific prioritization of society's wildfire prevention investments.
Ryan, R. L. & Hamin, E. (2008). Wildfires, Communities, and Agencies: Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Postfire Forest Restoration and Rehabilitation. Journal of Forestry , 370-380. Retrieved from https://people.umass.edu/emhamin/Research/Wildfires%20communities%20and%20agencies%20Stakeholders%20Perceptions%20of%20Postfire%20Forest%20Restoration%20and%20Rehabilitation.pdf
Ryan and Hamin (2008) conducted a study to explore US Forest Fire Services' activities and how the activities are perceived by other stakeholders in the communities near affected areas by wildfires. The findings explain four factors that influence the level of expectations on the Agency's post-wildfires' activities; the severity of wildfire impacts, the relationship between the communities and burnt forest, history of the Agency's operations, and community volunteerism. The research findings are significant in guiding the planning towards adopting intervention strategies aimed at enhancing community participation for long-term solutions. Since the current approaches show a lack of effective collaboration in the Agency, future plans to restore communities after wildfires and prevent future wildfire occurrences will invest in fostering residents' action-oriented approaches.
Vaillant, N.M., Kolden, C.A. & Smith, A. M. (2016 ). Assessing Landscape Vulnerability to Wildfire in the USA. Current Forestry Reports, 2 (201-213). Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40725-016-0040-1
The study explores landscape vulnerability to wildfires. Vaillant, Kolden, and Smith (2016) explain vulnerability from exposure to stressors, stressor variability, and resilience lens. The three approaches are significant for fire management services to assess a location’s vulnerabilities and addressing them to avoid future fires. Stressors identified include fuels, dry climate, human activities, and topography. The research will empower the planning team with the ability to calculate and predict wildfire occurrence accurately and how it can control wildfire impacts on people and the ecosystem.
ZURICH (2019). California fires: Building resilience from the ashes . Retrieved from https://www.zurichna.com/-/media/project/zwp/zna/docs/kh/wildfire/california-wildfire-report.pdf?la=en&hash=AB77A5B3CFC40E2C50ADB7F7
The study is a comprehensive analysis of the trends in wildfires in California. There is an increase in wildfire risks, with 2018 experiencing the most hazardous wildfire in US history since more than 17,800 homes were destroyed. The report’s main findings show that California’s communities have embraced wildfires as a “new normal” due to climate change and increased developments near and in forests. Human activities in forests have increased, leading to catastrophic fires. As communities are embracing the new normal, mitigation and preparedness measures are inadequate to cover the scope of these fires. The study will inform the research on basing wildfires preparedness planning on changing wildfires' paradigm by involving communities settled near forests. The planning team will endeavor to empower communities to adopt mitigation measures, such as having defensible spaces, controlled burning, and preserving forests. The research is significant in discouraging conventional measures that have failed in the past to match the "new normal" to enhance effectiveness in controlling wildfires.
