Integrated Fire Management

Abstract

Many people have called for Integrated Fire Management that effectively harnesses the power of fire to achieve land management goals. Often this includes using fire, and certainly, it involves managing both short- and long-term effects of fire informed by an understanding of both people and place. In eight case studies from around the globe, local experts describe successful variants of integrated fire management. Their stories illustrate innovative, proactive approaches to managing fires and the ecosystems, including people, in which those fires occur. Integrated Fire Management is different in each location, but it is always focused on long-term effectiveness in meeting strategic objectives, and the most effective practitioners are constantly listening, learning, and adapting while working with many different people. In this way, the case studies illustrate that effective fire management is informed by the scientific principles you’ve learned in prior chapters of our book, Fire science from chemistry to landscape management, but also depends on being flexible and adaptive to local and changing conditions. Such management uses fire as one of the tools to increase the benefits of fire while limiting the negative effects of fire in achieving social-ecological ecosystem goals strategically.