A typology of wildfire governance configurations: relating outcomes and processes

The goal of this perspective is to revisit the wildfire challenge through a governance lens, referring to the set of actors and mechanisms steering decision-making on societal issues. Drawing on the established literature, we mobilise a concept that differentiates governance outcomes and processes . Governance outcomes include measurable targets and policy outputs linked to the varied realms of wildfire preparedness, response and recovery. While essential for guiding decisions, allocating responsibility and evaluating progress, we argue that an outcome-oriented framing is insufficient for capturing broader dynamics through which wildfires are governed. To complement outcomes, focusing on governance processes draws attention to the ongoing, relational interactions through which actors, landscapes and wildfire regimes co-evolve under conditions of uncertainty and change. We propose a typology with four wildfire governance configurations as a simplified scheme for theoretical orientation, to inform comparative analysis and to structure further empirical inquiry. Illustrative examples of settings in Brazil, United States, Northern Australia, Spain and Canada demonstrate that beyond achieving fixed endpoints, wildfire regimes are governed globally through diverse processes that sustain conditions for collective action over time.