To protect communities from wildfires, we need to focus on equity

Based on B. Baker et al. Fire https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7020041 (2024)

Wildfire management strategies should expand mitigation, improve community engagement, and use novel approaches to enhance equitable preparedness, evacuation, and recovery.

The Policy Problem

Climate change is increasing the severity and frequency of wildfires, threatening communities across the Western United States. However, marginalized communities, who lack resources and face more inequities due to poverty and other systemic injustices, are at much greater risk. These inequities appear in wildfire planning and management, too. In fire-prone Ventura County, California, roughly 45% of the population is considered vulnerable. During and after the county’s two largest f ires—Thomas and Woolsey Fires—many of these residents experienced disproportionate impacts. This underscores the need for wildfire managers to support and include marginalized communities in wildfire planning, response, and recovery. So, what are the unique needs of marginalized communities when it comes to wildfire, and how should agencies address those needs?

Key Findings and Proposed Solutions

  • Wildfire-related concerns and barriers differ for low-income, Spanish-speaking, and high-wildfire risk demographics compared to the broader community.

  • Wildfire planning and management does not prepare non-English speakers, women, communities of color, and newer residents adequately, calling for diversified planning strategies that go beyond to reduce nuanced risks.

  • Residents living in the area for more than ten years were most prepared for evacuation