The US Forest Service Life First safety initiative: exploring unnecessary exposure to risk

Flores, David; Haire, Emily R.

doi:10.1071/wf21099

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 24 publications

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“…An online survey was chosen due to greater geographical scope offered by this methodology in comparison to other qualitative data techniques such as interviews. Surveys have been commonly utilised in wildfire research to gather opinions on topics such as fuel management (McCaffrey et al 2008 ; Fischer et al 2014 ), firefighter safety (Flores and Haire 2022 ) and household preparedness for wildfires (Prior and Eriksen 2013 ). However, surveys have not been used to explore concepts around fire resilient landscapes, with most research developing theoretical frameworks instead (Smith et al 2016 ; Schoennagel et al 2017 ; Tedim and Leone 2017 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is a fire resilient landscape? Towards an integrated definition

Thacker,

Ribau,

Bartholomeus

et al. 2023

Ambio

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The concept of fire resilience has become increasingly relevant as society looks to understand and respond to recent wildfire events. In particular, the idea of a ‘fire resilient landscape’ is one which has been utilised to explore how society can coexist with wildfires. However, the concept of fire resilient landscapes has often been approached in silos, either from an environmental or social perspective; no integrated definition exists. Based on a synthesis of literature and a survey of scientists and practitioners, we propose to define a fire resilient landscape as ‘a socio-ecological system that accepts the presence of fire, whilst preventing significant losses through landscape management, community engagement and effective recovery.’ This common definition could help guide policy surrounding fire resilient landscapes, and exemplify how such landscapes could be initiated in practice. We explore the applicability of the proposed definition in both Mediterranean and temperate Europe.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is a fire resilient landscape? Towards an integrated definition

Thacker,

Ribau,

Bartholomeus

et al. 2023

Ambio

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Factors influencing wildfire management decisions after the 2009 US federal policy update

Fillmore,

McCaffrey,

Bean

et al. 2024

Int. J. Wildland Fire

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Background The decision making process undertaken during wildfire responses is complex and prone to uncertainty. In the US, decisions federal land managers make are influenced by numerous and often competing factors. Aims To assess and validate the presence of decision factors relevant to the wildfire decision making context that were previously known and to identify those that have emerged since the US federal wildfire policy was updated in 2009. Methods Interviews were conducted across the US while wildfires were actively burning to elucidate time-of-fire decision factors. Data were coded and thematically analysed. Key results Most previously known decision factors as well as numerous emergent factors were identified. Conclusions To contextualise decision factors within the decision making process, we offer a Wildfire Decision Framework that has value for policy makers seeking to improve decision making, managers improving their process and wildfire social science researchers. Implications Managers may gain a better understanding of their decision environment and use our framework as a tool to validate their deliberations. Researchers may use these data to help explain the various pressures and influences modern land and wildfire managers experience. Policy makers and agencies may take institutional steps to align the actions of their staff with desired wildfire outcomes.

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External drivers of changes in wildland firefighter safety policies and practices

Cordner

2024

Int. J. Wildland Fire

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Background Firefighter safety is a top priority in wildland fire response and management. Existing explanations emphasise how land management agency initiatives to change organisational culture, usually inspired by fatality incidents, contribute to changes both in formal safety policies and informal safety practices. Aims This paper identifies external factors that lead to changes in wildland firefighter safety policies and practices. Methods This paper uses qualitative data from a long-term ethnographic research project. Data include detailed fieldnotes, semi-structured interviews, and agency documents, which were systematically coded and thematically analysed. Key results In addition to the triggering effects of fatality incidents and agency initiatives to change organisational culture, external factors also directly impact the development of firefighter safety policies and practices. These include sociodemographic, material, political, and social-environmental factors. Conclusions Identifying and understanding the influence of multi-scalar external factors on firefighter safety is essential to improving safety outcomes and reducing firefighters’ exposure to hazards. Implications Attention to and recognition of external factors is valuable for fire managers and practitioners, whose work is influenced and constrained by meso- and macro-level factors. The framework presented in this paper would be useful in understanding other important aspects of wildland fire management.

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The US Forest Service Life First safety initiative: exploring unnecessary exposure to risk

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

What is a fire resilient landscape? Towards an integrated definition

What is a fire resilient landscape? Towards an integrated definition

Factors influencing wildfire management decisions after the 2009 US federal policy update

External drivers of changes in wildland firefighter safety policies and practices

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