Wildfires in the Digital Age

THE CHALLENGE

I started my career as a wildland firefighter and have maintained an interest in wildfires for decades. Over these years I have watched fires burn hotter and fire seasons grow longer.

Fires are as much policy challenges as they are physical hazards, and technology is at the forefront of both. Promising technologies — from fuel mapping to early detection systems — move too slowly from development to widespread use, leaving communities without the tools they need. At the same time, technological failures in the form of online misinformation can erode public trust and undermine evacuation and response. And as climate change and land management challenges compounds fire risk over the coming decades, the gap between the technologies we have and the ones we need may only widen.

THE APPROACH

- Interviews and wildfire policy document analysis to map and diagnose the wildfire technological innovation system

- Social media analysis of how wildfire misinformation spread online in Oregon during the 2020 wildfire season

- Foresight workshop on wildfires in 2075

THE OUTCOME

Guidance on accelerating wildfire technological innovation, combatting wildfire misinformation online, and engaging with communities for long-term wildfire resilience.

Further reading

Accelerating Technological Innovation Across the U.S. Wildfire Management System RAND Corporation

Fire and Our Future: Results from RAND Workshop on Envisioning Interactions with the Built Environment, Utilities, and Health Systems in 2075 RAND Corporation

The LA Fires and the need for long-term strategy building wildland fire resilience The RAND Blog

Climate change is only one driver of explosive wildfire seasons – don't forget land management The Hill

As Fire Season Heats Up, Burnout Looms The RAND Blog

Wildfire and Covid-19. National Fire Protection Association Journal

Community-Driven Recovery: The Lahaina Wildfires a Year Later The RAND Blog