Humans, Fire, and Forests: Expanding the Domain of Wildfire Research

Human residential settlements in the woods and on the borders of public lands are increasing in number and expanding in size. This is particularly true in amenity-rich rural regions hosting public lands like national parks and forests. Wildfire and its associated management have drawn considerable research attention in the past several years because one of the consequences of wildfires has been the loss of homes and communities on the borders of these same public lands. Social science research has begun to address the interaction of humans, fire, and forests, but the majority of studies currently underway focus on individual human behavior. In this essay, we suggest an expansion of the domain of studies on fire to include research at a community/landscape scale is warranted if indeed we want to inform resource managers on the interplay of humans, fire, and biophysical systems.