Navigating post-fire recovery: Systemic challenges and emergent strategies in three fire-affected communities

: Highly destructive wildfires increasingly threaten communities across the western United States, necessitating a better understanding of how diverse communities recover post-fire. Working closely with partner organizations, we examined post-fire recovery in three case study locations impacted by the record-breaking 2020 fire season: Talent and Phoenix, Oregon; Happy Camp, California; and Ruth and Zenia, California. While each community experienced severe losses from wildfire, they embody a range of social and economic contexts. Through 76 interviews with fire survivors and key stakeholders, we explored how these communities navigated the post-fire recovery process. We found that the case study communities faced similar challenges, stemming from systemic gaps in recovery resources and barriers to accessing support. However, in the three years post-fire, each community made progress towards recovery by drawing on their social networks and relationships. This took different forms in each case study location, from an emphasis on localized informal networks in one community to formal, politically-connected networks in another. Comparing across cases, we found that community organizations and place-based government entities added critical scope to local recovery efforts. Results highlight the importance of local-level formal capacity for long-term disaster recovery and building social infrastructure for fostering climate resilience. By describing the challenges shared by fire-impacted communities and strategies employed to work towards recovery, this study adds to a nascent body of literature focused on community recovery after wildfire. Ultimately, we offer practical recommendations for both policymakers and communities seeking to build resilience and advance equitable disaster recovery, especially in the post-fire context.