13 - What can we do differently about the extreme wildfire problem: An overview

Abstract

The failure of the “War on Fire” (WoF) model to address the increasing social impacts of extreme wildfires highlights the need to look for new ways of thinking. Although a range of perspectives have been proposed, none of them consider the full array of challenges that inform outcomes, particularly when considering extreme wildfire events. In this chapter we propose Shared Wildfire Governance(SwG) as a new paradigm to “thrive with fire,” describing the facets of the paradigm and advantages to the WoF. The SwG paradigm is supported by a framework that considers the general processes that influence how wildfires interact with human systems that at a high level are independent of the cultural and socioeconomic context where it occurs. How the processes will play out in different settings will vary, some dynamics may be more relevant than others in a given location, and specific priority and focus of actions can be adapted to the context and the hazard characteristics as well as to the resources, skills, and objectives of the area. The framework is designed to be used at multiple scales, to develop specific plans in a community or inform institutional processes at a regional/national level. Focusing on identifying the full range of ways to address issues posed by both damaging, as well as beneficial fires, within the context of the natural environments and socioeconomic systems in which they occur, the framework also holds more potential to find synergies with nonfire concerns, increasing the likelihood of developing effective and implementable solutions.