Disaster preparedness and community helping behaviour in the wake of the 2020 Oregon wildfires

Abstract

Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity owing to climate change. Individual‐level behavioural responses—notably, disaster preparedness and community helping actions (such as donating and volunteering)—supplement government efforts to respond to such phenomena, but rarely have they been explored together. Using data from a survey administered soon after the 2020 Oregon wildfires, this paper compares a range of socio‐demographic, experiential, attitudinal, and communication‐related factors associated with these two individual‐level behavioural responses. Findings indicate that respondents who reported experiencing a higher degree of harm and heightened concern about climate change after the wildfires were more likely to report disaster preparedness and community helping actions. Those who reported more frequent informal discussions about the wildfires, consulting more sources to seek information on them, and higher percentages of friends, neighbours, and community members taking actions to prepare for future wildfires also reported more disaster preparedness and community helping actions. Disaster preparedness actions were also positively associated with seeking information from formal/official sources.

Artificial refuges did not increase small mammal abundance after fire

“…Globally, the increasing frequency of fires, and the recognition of their potential interactions with predators, are driving land managers and local communities to actively support wildlife recovery postfire (Ahmed & Ledger, 2023;Siddiqi et al, 2023). In theory, artificial refuges may offer a versatile, relatively inexpensive, and thus attractive postfire conservation measure, that also provides a unique opportunity for the engagement and inclusion of the community in conservation activities (e.g., MacIvor & Packer, 2015).…”