A Deeper Dive into Wildland Fire Resilience:

What Questions Have We Missed?

Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash

As emergency managers, we know that wildland fires present an ongoing and evolving challenge that demands more than just a response or containment strategy. It’s time we broadened the conversation around wildland fire to include the bigger picture—one that integrates the whole community, embraces resilience, and, most importantly, asks the right questions.

Recently, I posted on LinkedIn about the need to rethink how we, as emergency managers, address wildland fires. A respondent rightly pointed out that maybe the critical issue is whether we are asking the right questions or if there are others we have yet to explore. This led to a more extensive reflection: are we taking a holistic enough approach to this complex and growing threat? Are we digging deep enough into the systemic challenges wildland fires pose?

I believe we are still grappling with fundamental issues that demand deeper scrutiny.

The Need for a Holistic Approach

Wildland fire is not a crisis that only affects rural or isolated communities. It is an environmental, social, and economic issue that transcends traditional boundaries. Our current policies often reflect a reactive stance—focusing on suppression, immediate relief, and recovery. While these aspects are critical, they fail to address the deeper systemic issues contributing to wildland fires' severity and frequency.