Fire shapes landscapes and lives, but how do humans shape fire? By measuring wildfire ignition, mitigation, and recovery, as well as the wildland-urban interface—where houses meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland vegetation—scientists are uncovering the complex dynamics between wildfire and human behavior. 

Research social scientist, Miranda Mockrin, sheds light on the rapidly growing wildland-urban interface and the challenges it poses for fire management and community resilience. Research forester, Jeff Kline, delves into private landowners' behavior in central Oregon, and the surprising insights into their awareness of fire risks and the factors influencing their mitigation actions. Kline also investigates the various ways humans cause wildfires across the Pacific Northwest, and what can be done with that data.

Related Research:

• Changes to Rural Migration in the COVID-19 Pandemic (2024)
• Rising Wildfire Risk to Houses in the US, Especially in Grasslands and Shrublands (2023)
• The Global Wildland–Urban Interface (2023)
• Tale of Two Fires: Retreat and Rebound a Decade After Wildfires in California and South Carolina (2022)
• After the fire: Perceptions of Land Use Planning to Reduce Wildfire Risk in Eight Communities Across the United States (2020)
• Where Wildfires Destroy Buildings in the U.S. Relative to the WUI and National Fire Outreach Programs (2018)
• Sprawling & Diverse: The Changing U.S. Population and Implications for Public Lands in the 21st Century (2018)
• Rebuilding and New Housing Development After Wildfire (2015)
• Adapting to Wildfire: Rebuilding After Home Loss (2015)
• The Wildland Urban Interface Fire Problem (2008)
• Wildfire Strikes Home!: The Report of the National Wildland/Urban Fire Protection Conference (1987)
• The Influence of Socioeconomic Factors on Human Wildfire Ignitions in the Pacific Northwest, USA (2023)
• Spatial Wildfire Occurrence Data for the United States, 1992-2020 (2022)
• Examining the Influence of Biophysical Conditions on Wildland-Urban Interface Homeowners' Wildfire Risk Mitigation Activities in Fire-Prone Landscapes (2017)
• A Conceptual Framework for Coupling the Biophysical and Social Dimensions of Wildfire to Improve Fireshed Planning and Risk Mitigation (2015) 

Scientists:

• Miranda Mockrin, Research Social Scientist, Baltimore, Maryland
• Jeff Kline, Research Forester, Corvallis, Oregon

Forestcast is an official USDA Forest Service podcast, and is produced by USDA Forest Service Research and Development.

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Questions or ideas for the show? Contact Jon at [email protected]