Wildfire management in the wildland urban interface: Alternatives to evacuation, social diversity and media influences

Wildfire poses a growing risk to human settlements in the United States, and especially in the West. Adding to the difficulty of reducing such risk is the push to re-integrate wildfire as a natural ecosystem process; its long exclusion from U.S. ecosystems is one factor contributing to increased fire severity. This dissertation addresses a number of components related to the human dimensions of wildfire management in the U.S. West, including: (1) The development of alternatives to evacuation among fire-prone populations; (2) The impact of social diversity on community ability to adapt to wildfire risk and/or implement policies related to its management; and (3) The influence of the news media on public understanding and acceptance of wildfire or associated risks. Each of these foci reflect the growing recognition that private citizens need to take personal responsibility for their fire risk and collaborate with wildfire professionals from local and federal agencies. I define and outline the need for alternatives to evacuation as a means to protect human safety and property during wildfire. Analysis of newspaper coverage is used to illustrate how the media reflect and contribute to continued notions of fire exclusion and government protection from wildfire risk. Recommendations to advance the use of alternatives to evacuation are developed by drawing from fire and other hazard literatures. Case studies of communities implementing alternatives to evacuation are used to develop theory concerning how and under what conditions they might be applicable. I use Structuration theory to discuss strategies for overcoming barriers to adoption of alternatives, including existing U.S. notions of fire management and the organizational structure of wildfire agencies. Central to this understanding is the recognition that social diversity among geographically disperse communities at risk for fire needs better understanding at a conceptual level. I draw from social and community theory to provide a model for understanding this diversity and its affect on adaptability to wildfire management in an effort to prompt a more systematic method for allocating resources (education, planning, money) to reduce wildfire risk and manage it effectively.