Our Fire History
Wildland fire has been present in terrestrial ecosystems for thousands of years and is an essential process in the continued existence of these ecosystems. Over time, management of fire has taken many forms, directed by the state of ecological knowledge at a particular time, levels of operational capability, current objectives, recent occurrences of significant fire events, and widely fluctuating social-political influences.
Wildland fire management has existed as long as humans have been aware of fire and attempted to control or use it. Only over the last one and half centuries has this field expanded to become a highly productive professional discipline. It has seen tremendous development and growth that began where fires were started and semi-directed for wildlife and plant management, where a few individuals tended to isolated lightning strikes, and where fires in and around developments often led to negative and unacceptable results.
It has progressed to a much more mature, honorable, well developed, knowledge-based discipline where learning is emphasized and promoted, where planning promotes sound operational implementation and sets science-based land and resource objectives, where technological sophistication has provided advances in operational equipment, where computer support capabilities are increasing at exponential rates, where highly trained and capable mobile tactical firefighting resources exist and can be committed wherever needed, and where the highest level of cooperation and collaboration among firefighting organizations is a basis for action.
Many of our present wildfire problems began with the early attention focused on the single objective of fire control and exclusion. Large, destructive fires that occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries burned valuable forest resources, caused loss of human life, destroyed rural communities, and resulted from incomplete management activities and inability to respond to subsequent fires. These fires increased public sentiment that wildfires were an enemy with substantial potential and likelihood for significant damage. This promoted the development and support of rigid fire exclusion policies. But neither policy makers nor the public understood the ecological role of fire, beneficial and necessary ecological effects from fires, and the undesirable effects that would result from widespread and indiscriminate fire exclusion.
As ecological knowledge and program capability matured, attention expanded to embrace multiple objectives and a broader range of management options. Expanded learning and growth has followed in the areas of fire ecology, the natural role of fire, the interrelationships of fire and healthy ecosystems, fuel dynamics and fire behavior, and the fire environment. Science and technology advancements provided immeasurable value in countless instances. Global fire policies have expanded to now often afford the most inclusive set of policy elements and greatest range of management options. Fire management workforces have become highly trained and sophisticated with advanced equipment and technology.
Still, there are many elements that need better definition, activities that need improvement, areas where much remains to be discovered and learned, and many challenges ahead. It must be understood that wildland fire is a key component of healthy ecosystems and that fire exclusion can have significant unintended consequences, not all fires can be suppressed, and not all fires should be suppressed.
The Future
Fire intensity and severity will continue to increase, vegetation and fuel complexes will continue to change, and climate change will magnify these issues and bring additional concerns. Population growth and community expansion show no signs of slowing, increasing fire complexity is elevating attention to firefighter safety, and costs of doing business are increasing.
As we continue to move forward, emerging trends, both good and bad, are influencing management capability, opportunities, and direction. The fire environment of today and tomorrow reflects the effects of rigid fire exclusion activities, This environment is characterized by altered vegetation and fuel complexes, subsequent wildfire having higher intensity levels, fires affecting larger areas, persisting for longer durations of time, and more frequently occurring in the wildland urban interface (WUI). In addition, today’s wildland fire management environment is deeply rooted in the mix of social, ecological, and management requirements and needs. Accomplishments in regard to these areas, include numerous and wide-ranging successes but, to a lesser extent, some very serious outcomes.
Wildland fire management is inextricably bound to land and resource management. Future actions founded on an over reliance on past experience will cause weakening in success and land management efficiency; ecological, social, and management concerns will not be appeased through the use of a single wildfire response. Proactive measures are necessary. Increasingly frequent and damaging wildfires cannot simply be accepted as unavoidable events. The full level of risk and hazard in the current and future fire environment must be clearly articulated, understood, and factored into decision-making. Expanded ecological knowledge must not be unnoticed, but along with other scientific and technological advancements, must be used in the shaping of management activities.
Land managers must drive wildland fire management planning, implementation, and evaluation and not allow changing situations to drive management. Passive management cannot meet the challenge, active management is necessary to better manage wildlands and protect natural, cultural, and social values. Collaborative undertakings that involve affected and interested participants must be used to set courses of action. Better preparation, advanced discovery and learning, making landscapes more resilient to fire, strengthening the ability of human populations and infrastructure to withstand fire presence, and making safe, effective, and efficient risk-based wildfire management decisions and responses are critical to future success.
Responsibility for addressing these issues extends beyond just fire management professionals; social awareness of issues, ramifications, opportunities, and capabilities must increase. At this time when the need to be more effective and efficient has never been greater, it seems difficult to understand that the support and guidance for this discipline is fraught with seemingly contradictory direction and rules, poorly thought out guidance, and knee-jerk reactions to isolated events.
In a time of increasing complexities and needs for greater capability, the apparent inability or unwillingness to find and implement a better way to fund wildfire suppression is perplexing at best. Stating support for increased learning and the increased capability that it will bring but reducing the opportunities to promote research, learning, and continued education on fire related subjects does not advance preparation of land and resource management professionals for meeting future challenges and advance knowledge and skills, and will not keep pace with demands and needs. Policy makers must need to be actively engaged and support program development to the extent possible; we need to remind ourselves of the impacts from the fire exclusion policy and learn how to better prepare to respond to long-term needs.
IAWF’s Role
The International Association of Wildland Fire, as the professional association for this discipline, recognizes these needs. We seek to set the standard in wildland fire management, bringing science, best practices, and the best people together to actively shape the future of the wildland fire profession and the world we live in.
We work with professionals, policy makers, and society at all levels to help make choices about fire and its environment and to balance diverse demands and needs. Our mission is essentially to facilitate discovery and communication in wildland fire science, advance strategic and tactical planning and implementation, provide leadership for the wildland fire community, and provide global linkage for people with shared interest in wildland fire and comprehensive fire management.
We carried this effort for 26 years and will continue to advocate for this profession and to work for its overall betterment and advancement.
