See where wildfire risk intersects social and economic factors that can make it difficult for people to prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfire.
wildfire
Living with wildfire
Watch “Living with wildfire.” Wildfires are an inescapable and necessary function of healthy ecosystems. In the past decade they have increased in severity and duration, killed more people, and burned more structures.
Wildland-Urban Interface: The Problem, Trends, & Solutions (slides)
Slide show: The wildland-urban interface is growing and wildfires are causing cause more damage. Land use planning is an important solution.
Wildfire Risk Report for every U.S. community
A new report in our Economic Profile System provides community-level data about wildfire hazard and potentially vulnerable populations.
Wildfires destroy thousands of structures each year
Explore the number of structures destroyed in each state by wildfire. Structures lost—rather than acres burned—provides a more complete measure of the broad impacts of wildfire.
Montana wildfire risk is widespread and growing
The number of western Montana homes in areas with high wildfire hazard has doubled, outpacing development rates in areas with low wildfire hazard.
Community resilience in the era of megafires
Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D., demonstrates how community resilience to wildfire needs to include planning and adaptation strategies for homes and neighborhoods.
Communities threatened by wildfires, 2000-2019
From 2000-2019, nearly 2,000 U.S. communities were threatened by wildfires or potential ember spread, showing the need for adaptive planning strategies.
Wildfire and Vulnerable Populations: Testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee
Testimony on wildfires and vulnerable populations to a forum before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.
Federal wildfire policy and the legacy of suppression
Federal wildfire policy that emphasizes suppression—a legacy of early-1900s forest management—has resulted in a paradox: accumulated fuels and larger, more severe wildfires.
Preparing for wildfires during a pandemic
Managing wildfires during a pandemic will test the capacity of our first responders, but individual homeowners can take steps now to reduce wildfire risks.
Wildfire Risk to Communities: A tool to understand, explore, and reduce risk
The new Wildfire Risk to Communities website—developed by the USDA Forest Service in partnership with Headwaters Economics and Pyrologix—offers maps and data about community wildfire risk nationwide.
Building for Wildfire Summit: Understanding How Homes Burn
Video and highlights from an event that brought together diverse community leaders to explore practices for building fire-adapted communities.
Newsletter: July 2019
Our latest newsletter contains research on the economic importance of public lands, wildfire hazard assessments, and rural resilience. Subscribe to our newsletter.
Wildfire Hazard Assessments Inform Land Use Planning
Wildfire hazard assessment maps can help communities build safer neighborhoods, prioritize mitigation resources, and adapt to wildfire.
Newsletter: February 2019
Our latest research, Newsletter: February 2019, contains research on neighborhoods at risk from climate change, how recreation counties outperform their peers economically, detailed socioeconomic profiles for counties near BLM units, and a blog on land use planning being more effective than logging to reduce wildfire disasters. Subscribe to our newsletter.
Newsletter: December 2018
Our latest research, Newsletter: December 2018, contains research on building wildfire-resistant homes, a trails toolkit, helping communities reduce wildfire risk through land use planning, and Montana’s outdoor recreation economy. Subscribe to our newsletter.
Communities utilize land use planning to reduce wildfire risks and costs
Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) is helping communities reduce wildfire risks and costs. Four new communities join 26 others this coming year.
Building a Wildfire-Resistant Home: Codes and Costs
A new home built to wildfire-resistant codes can be constructed for roughly the same cost as a typical home.
San Luis Valley Wildfire Risk
Explore interactive maps of watersheds, wildfire, and the wildland-urban interface in Colorado’s San Luis Valley.