The Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI, is where forest and homes meet. It’s the fastest growing land use type in the nation, and also where one in three homes across the country are situated. What’s it mean to live in the WUI, where the stakes of wildfire are higher than anywhere else? And why is this area so vulnerable to fire?

• Jen Henseik is the Missoula district ranger for the Lolo National Forest

• Rod Moraga is a firefighter and the CEO of Anchor Point, a wildland fire solutions group based in Boulder, Colorado

• Kimi Barrett leads Headwaters Economics’ research in wildfire and other natural hazards and is the Program Coordinator for the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire program