Implementation of National Fire Plan treatments near the wildland–urban interface in the western United States

Abstract

Because of increasing concern about the effects of catastrophic wildland fires throughout the western United States, federal land managers have been engaged in efforts to restore historical fire behavior and mitigate wildfire risk. During the last 5 years (2004 -2008), 44,000 fuels treatments were implemented across the western United States under the National Fire Plan (NFP). We assessed the extent to which these treatments were conducted in and near the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where they would have the greatest potential to reduce fire risk in neighboring homes and communities. Although federal policies stipulate that significant resources should be invested in the WUI, we found that only 3% of the area treated was within the WUI, and another 8% was in an additional 2.5-km buffer around the WUI, totaling 11%. Only 17% of this buffered WUI is under federal ownership, which significantly limits the ability of federal agencies to implement fire-risk reduction treatments near communities. Although treatments far from the WUI may have some fire mitigation benefits, our findings suggest that greater priority must be given to locating treatments in and near the WUI, rather than in more remote settings, to satisfy NFP goals of reducing fire risk to communities. However, this may require shifting management and policy emphasis from public to private lands. fire mitigation ͉ hazardous fuels reduction ͉ Healthy Forest Restoration Act ͉ prescribed fire ͉ thinning

The spatial domain of wildfire risk and response in the wildland urban interface in Sydney, Australia

“…However, when we consider that the great majority of high risk fires started within 2 km of the WUI, it may be argued that an even greater concentration of management near the interface is warranted. When compared to the western USA where only 11 % of treatments were within 2.5 km of the WUI (Schoennagel et al, 2009), prescribed fires as a fuel reduction treatment are well targeted in Sydney (59 % within 2 km).…”

“…As urban populations expand, so do the number of houses in the WUI in Australia (Hughes and Mercer, 2009) and in the USA (Schoennagel et al, 2009), and house losses increase accordingly (Schoennagel et al, 2009). The probability of loss (consequential risk) is a conditional function of ignition, spread and the vulnerability of urban environments and structures (Bradstock and Gill, 2001).…”

An empirical wildfire risk analysis: the probability of a fire spreading to the urban interface in Sydney, Australia

“…Previous studies have found that treatment concentrated close to the assets is more effective for protection than treatments that are more distant (Schoennagel et al 2009;Price and Bradstock 2010). Low fuel age (via fuel treatment) would be expected to reduce fire severity ) and rate of spread (McArthur 1967;McCaw et al 2012), therefore making it more likely that the fire would be slowed before reaching the receiver and more favourable to suppression.…”

Historical perspective on the influence of wildfire policy, law, and informal institutions on management and forest resilience in a multiownership, frequent-fire, coupled human and natural system in Oregon, USA

“…In the western United States, wildfires are becoming more severe, as measured by tree mortality (Westerling et al 2006, Stephens et al 2013). Forest fuel treatments have disproportionately treated the wildland urban interface (WUI), thereby limiting restoration of the broader wildland area (Schoennagel et al 2009) where ecosystem services and timber are at stake. In the WUI, homes and other structures are also at stake, as is human health, and safety of fire fighters and residents (McCaffrey and Olson 2012).…”