A Climate Change Adaptation Expert Explains How To Reduce Fire Risk

The 2023 Columbia Climate School report emphasizes the importance of adopting wildfire mitigation strategies, particularly home hardening and prescribed burns, to reduce fire risk in areas threatened by wildfires, particularly as urban areas encroach upon forest land. As Lisa Dale, a director at the Climate School, notes, current firefighting strategies rely too heavily on suppression rather than proactive management. Increased population density near forests combines with climate change, making it crucial to rethink how to address urban and wildland disaster management, as many homes are threatened more by embers than direct wildfires.

According to the report, effective fire preparedness should focus on home hardening, reducing flammable materials around properties and employing prescribed burns.

The rise in population density near forested areas contributes to increased fire risk, necessitating an integrated approach to fire management.

Read at State of the Planet