Public Concerns About Fire

Public Concerns About Fire

Fear of Fire • 1937: President Roosevelt campaigns to reduce human-caused fires. • Uncle Sam forest ranger. “Your Forests – Your Fault – Your Loss”

WWII Era • Americans feared that a fire could destroy forest resources when wood products were greatly needed for the war effort. • Few firefighters in US because so many men in the military. • Wartime Advertising Council slogans: "Forest Fires Aid the Enemy," and “Careless Matches Aid the Axis.”

Post WWII

Bambi • In 1944, Walt Disney released the movie “Bambi,” and allowed the Forest Service to use the deer on their campaign posters for one year. • The Forest Service decided to continue using an animal and chose a bear for their fire safety mascot.

Smokey the Bear • Created August 9, 1944 • Longest running campaign in U.S. history.

Today’s Smokey “Only You Can Prevent WILDfires.”

Geographics & Demographics • Where you grew up, how is fire thought of? Is prescribed fire used? • Are fire perceptions different in forest communities vs. urban? • Forest: fire may interfere with revenue, will it be effective in forest matrix • Urban: disconnected from ecosystem around them • Vacation home owner vs. permanent resident? • Vacation: aesthetics and recreation important • Permanent: fire protection • Lake Tahoe, Malibu, Oakland Hills vs. east Arizona, San Bernardino • Wealthier: property is more replaceable, but also more money for fuel reduction around homes • Exposed to previous wildfire vs. never exposed • Retired vs babyboomer community • Retired: Aren’t physically able to clear vegetation around homes, less $ • Remote vs. proximate prescribed fires

What don’t people like about prescribed fire?

Prescribed Burning “Excuses” • From Biswell • All fires are bad • Prescribed fire confused with wildfires • Too much danger of escaping control • Dislike of smoke • Prescribed burning is too costly • Let it be an act of God. • Too much responsibility • We can lose our jobs • There is no money for prescribed burning • Public won’t let us burn • There aren’t enough burn days • Negative influence of powerful people • We need more research Citizen response Manager response

Objective: Develop a campaign to encourage public approval of prescribed fire 5 Phases • Preplanning • Notice,editorial, scoping • Public meeting • Planning • Notice,editorial, scoping • Implementation • Signs on road, media • Post Fire Monitoring • Field trips, speaking engagements • Refining the plan • Public meeting

Recommendations from Weldon  Talk to the public about fire in ecosystems • Ecological Facts • Develop simple ways to present ecological processes • Field trips, media, demonstrations, publications • Benefits • Biological diversity, forest sustainability, wildlife habitat • Consequences • Tradeoffs between prescribed fire and suppression • Personal interactions through field trips • Proactive management • Risks • Honest about technical abilities, limits, and potential for escapes • Explain goals, design and implementation of prescribed burns

Recommendations from Weldon • Listen to public concerns • Use to establish the rate of fire restoration • Get support early on small projects • Answer questions related to the technical aspects • Fire behavior, desirable burning conditions • Be responsive to public concerns • Wood fiber use • Consider alternatives, complements (thinning) • Smoke • Choose good smoke dispersal conditions • Plan size, duration and location to minimize smoke

Tough Issues • How much public input is ideal? • Delays process • SNEF allowed any organization to write alternative management strategies, but this extended the process 1-2 years. • Can be overruled by politics • USFS Region Forester or NPS Park Superintendent makes final decision. • If public is not completely receptive to fire, what should managers do? • Go ahead with some burning and then promote the outcome? • Or do they need to get approval first, and then build a program?

Public Outreach Programs • CDF VMP Program (1981) • Cost-sharing program between private landowners and CDF to reduce fire-prone vegetation. • prescribed burns and mechanical removal • Approximately $3.5 million annual budget • Burned on average 27,000 acres/year in last 10 years • California FireSafe Councils (1993) • 132 councils • Goals: • Provide support and resources for grassroot organizations involved in fire safety • Distribute fire safe educational materials • Evaluate fire safe legislation • FireWise • Similar goals to FireSafe, but a more national scope • Federal agency support

Defensible Space Alberta Canada, Timberlines Forest Inventory Consultants Newsletter

What Can Be Improved? • Promote prescribed fire successes • Where did they reduce wildfire behavior? Protect communities? • What strategies made a difference? • Vs media coverage of escapes • Adaptive management • What didn’t work? Why did an escape occur and how can it be prevented? • Quantify the positive effects of fuel reduction (wildfire prevention, reduced spead/intensity) vs. just saying that fuel reduction was done

What Can Be Improved? • More responsibility to individuals • Defensible space around homes • Reduce accidental ignitions (Smokey idea) • Reduce expectations of local governments • Financial support from federal govt and communities • Remove prescribed fire liability (ex. CDF VMP) • Incentives in the wildland urban interface • Decrease WUI expansion • Zoning, city planning, high insurance premiums • Decrease fire susceptibility • Tax breaks, community recognition for fire-smart landscaping and defensible space

New Educational Images?

History of Fire Perceptions and Policy • 1905 Nationwide fire suppression USFS • 1911 Weeks Act – federal govt reimburses states for suppression costs • 1920s Depression  large labor pool for suppression Light burning controversy • 1924 CDF adopts fire suppression policy • 1929 USFS proposes firebreak along entire western Sierra Nevada to protect timber • 1933 CCC created Ponderosa Way firebreak 650 mi long, 45-60 mi wide • 1935 10am policy USFS • 1937 Fire prevention ad campaign begins “Your Forests-Your Fault” • 1944 Smokey is born • 1945 CDF allows landowners to burn brushlands for livestock forage • 1947 Weather modification investigated (lightning suppression, rainmaking) • 1950s Biswell studies prescribed fire in CA, leads demonstration burns WWII technology, labor and attitude transferred to fire suppression • 1962 Tall Timbers Research Station established, annual fire conferences • 1964 Leopold Report/Wilderness Act – fire allowed to play a natural role

History of Fire Perceptions and Policy • 1968 Sequoia National Park begins prescribed natural fire program • 1971 USFS begins to allow prescribed natural fires in some areas • 1972 Yosemite begins Prescribed Natural Fire Program • 1975 CA State Parks begin prescribed burning at Calaveras Big Trees • 1978 USFS 10am policy revoked, fire “management” replaces fire “control” • 1981 CDF Vegetation Management Program • 1988 Yellowstone Fires resulted in a fire policy review (need for clearer management plans and more public education) • 1990s Wildland Urban Interface becomes an issue of concern Fuel reduction and demonstrations, DFPZs are born • 1995 USFS Fire Policy Review Public education paramount Natural resources should be equally valued as personal property Fuel reduction necessary to deal with hazardous fuel conditions • 2000 Cerro Grande Fire placed fire moratorium on NPS and CA State Parks until contingency planning improved. • 2003 Healthy Forest Restoration Act Encourages public to determine fuel reduction priorities in their communities Streamline the fuel reduction process by bypassing some environmental analysis

Public Concerns About Fire