Policy Options for Minimizing Wildfire Damage in the Western USA

Abstract

In recent years, wildfire has become increasingly prominent as a damaging phenomenon in the western portion of the United States. In populated areas, it is a hazard to life and property, and in forested areas it degrades habitat and commercially valuable trees. The increasing risk from wildfire results from a combination of urban-density development adjacent to undeveloped areas, environmental conditions related to climate change, and decades of fire suppression that have allowed the accumulation of burnable fuel. There are multiple options available to address wildfire risk, such as buffer areas around communities; defensible space around structures; fire-resistant building construction; and forestry techniques such as fire suppression, managed burning, controlled burning, and thinning. This chapter describes the geographic and institutional setting of wildfire in the western USA and uses examples of recent fire events to illustrate risk-reducing options, including discussion of differing perspectives on their application.