Wildfires in the Digital Age

THE CHALLENGE

I began my career as a wildland firefighter and have since watched fires burn hotter and seasons grow longer. Promising technologies, from fuel mapping to early detection, move slowly from development to widespread use, while online misinformation erodes public trust and undermines evacuation and response. As climate change and land management challenges compound fire risk, the gap between the technologies we have and those we need may widen.

THE APPROACH

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

- Social network analysis of online misinformation during Oregon’s 2020 wildfire season, used to develop structurally informed countermeasures

- Foresight workshop envisioning wildfire interactions with the built environment, utilities, and health systems in 2075

THE OUTCOME

Recommendations for accelerating technological innovation across the U.S. wildfire management system, strategies for countering wildfire misinformation online and offline, and a long-range scenario analysis of wildfire risk to 2075.

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

The Los Angeles 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