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Wildfires

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Commentary
We Aren't Helpless in the Face of Increasing Fires and Smoke
Modernizing, better funding, and expanding wildland firefighting forces in North America won't make fires or smoke magically disappear. A massive paradigm shift is necessary. But it's clear something needs to happen immediately too.
Jun 12, 2023
Commentary
Climate Change Is Only One Driver of Explosive Wildfire Season—Don't Forget Land Management
The fire seasons that have been scorching huge areas and wiping entire towns from the map appear to be the future. Accepting that wildland fires are a part of our environment and working to live with fires rather than continuously fighting against them may be the most responsible path forward.
Aug 16, 2021

Explore Wildfires

Blog
Reconstructing Ukraine, Wildfires, Telehealth: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on reconstructing Ukraine, what to do about wildfires, virtual mental health care services, and more.
Jun 16, 2023
Multimedia
Emergency Management in California: Reflections by Mark Ghilarducci
During a November 2022 webinar, Mark Ghilarducci, the Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), reflected on his more than 30 years of experience and diversified service in public safety and emergency management at the local, state, and federal levels.
Dec 30, 2022
Dissertation
Ovens and Tinderboxes in the Golden State: A Mixed-Methods Exploratory Analysis of Joint Heatwave Power Outage Events
Examines associations between hazards, outages, and health outcomes for California cities from 2008–2020.
Jul 21, 2022
Report
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Impact on Fire Safety Standards
The authors document the role of the National Institute for Standards and Technology in developing fire safety standards and analyze the economic and social benefits provided to society as a result of the adoption of those standards.
Jan 26, 2022
Research Brief
The Growing Exposure of Air Force Installations to Natural Disasters
Some Department of the Air Force installations face high levels of exposure to flooding, wildfires, or high winds. Twenty installations have areas with high or very high wildfire potential.
Sep 16, 2021
Report
How Can the Department of the Air Force Prepare for Natural Hazards?
Some Air Force facilities are exposed to flooding, high winds, wildfires, or even multiple hazards. Future costs of damages are uncertain, and climate change could affect the frequency and scale of these hazards. The process for making investment decisions regarding resilience should be flexible.
Aug 9, 2021
Blog
Historic Lynchings and Voter Registration, China in Space, Firefighters' Mental Health: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the link between historic lynchings and voter registration, Afghanistan in the era of fentanyl, supporting firefighters’ mental health, and more.
Jul 30, 2021
Commentary
As Fire Season Heats Up, Burnout Looms
Increasingly intense fire seasons are taking a physical and mental toll on wildland firefighters. Without more direct attention paid to firefighters' mental health, burnout could decimate the ranks of those who protect lives and property across the West.
Jul 21, 2021
Report
Indonesian Fires and Haze
Fires in Indonesia contribute to severe air pollution that causes public health, environmental, and economic degradation across Indonesia and across equatorial Asia. What are the drivers of fire activity in Indonesia? And what are some the health impacts of air pollution exposure?
Jul 20, 2021
Blog
Veterans Day, Psychedelic Drug Policy, Family Caregivers: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses supporting veterans with mental health and substance use disorders, changes to psychedelic drug policy, the vital role of family caregivers, and more.
Nov 13, 2020
Commentary
Another Record-Breaking Fire Season Shows the Need for a Comprehensive Strategy
Year after year, fires across western U.S. states scorch forests, rangeland, and neighborhoods, wreaking havoc on rural economies and pushing smoke into cities. Policymakers should consider a coordinated and comprehensive effort that brings together the best minds in government, communities, and academia.
Nov 6, 2020
Blog
Wildfires, America's Wealth Gap, Screening for COVID-19 at Work: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the growing risk of wildfires, how Americans' incomes have grown (or not), workplace screenings for COVID-19 symptoms, and more.
Sep 18, 2020
Research Brief
How Wildfire Risks Affect California's Insurance Market
Wildfires in California destroy thousands of structures each year, devastating homeowners and bringing heavy costs for insurers. And without an aggressive GHG emissions control strategy, climate change will likely increase the risk of wildfires in some areas. How will insurance markets respond?
Sep 14, 2020
Periodical
RAND Review: March-April 2020
Feature stories spotlight how technology can better serve the world's displaced people, the promise of supportive housing for people with mental illness, and a RAND climate scientist's personal brush with wildfire.
Mar 9, 2020
Journal Article
What Can FEMA Learn from the Historic 2017 Hurricane and Wildfire Seasons?
Emergency managers—including FEMA, but also extending to the states and localities that are the first line of defense—could do much more to identify statewide risks and build community resilience long before an event makes headlines.
Feb 12, 2020
Commentary
What Can FEMA Learn from the Historic 2017 Hurricane and Wildfire Seasons?
When a hurricane comes ashore or a wildfire ignites, most of a community's vulnerability to disaster is already set. Emergency managers including FEMA, states, and localities could do much more to identify statewide risks and build community resilience before an event makes headlines.
Feb 3, 2020
Blog
Australia's Fires, Artificial Intelligence, Fentanyl: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on Australia's devastating fires, how artificial intelligence could manipulate the masses, the fentanyl crisis, and more.
Jan 24, 2020
Commentary
Australia's Fires: Respond Now, but Also Measure Toll on People for the Future
As an Australian, Melissa Finucane has watched with anguish as massive bushfires devastated wide swaths of her home country. As a researcher who studies community resilience, she can't help but think of how much blood, sweat, tears, and money will be required to recover.
Jan 20, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Wildfires

Topic Synonyms:
Blaze;
Conflagration;
Forest Fire

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