NFPA Journal - Spring 2024 - 34

THE VIEW
Wildfire by Michele Steinberg
Survey Says
A PROJECT TO UNDERSTAND PERCEPTIONS AROUND WILDFIRE MITIGATION FOR
HOMES YIELDS SURPRISES-AND SOME FAMILIAR CHALLENGES
T
he impacts of deadly
and destructive wildfires
have grown exponentially
in recent years, but regulatory
solutions lag. The
application of building codes and landuse
standards for new construction
in wildfire hazard areas is a key tenet
of NFPA's Outthink Wildfire™
policy
initiative (nfpa.org/wildfire), but only
California and Utah have statewide,
enforceable wildfire resilience standards.
The political will to regulate new
construction is feeble, and further weakened
each time a news story highlights
pushback from the building industry
or the public about costs and property
rights. These outraged voices are
usually few but loud, and local officials
and state agencies are easily cowed by
perceived backlash when wildfire risk
reduction rules are proposed. With new,
more stringent regulations pending in
states including Colorado and Oregon, I
wondered how NFPA might help state and local governments
achieve public acceptance of these much-needed requirements.
NFPA's Wildfire and Research Divisions cosponsored a
A survey goal was to
help us gauge where
people believe the
responsibility lies for
property protection
from wildfire.
were affected-were much more likely to
be concerned about wildfire risks. Also
not surprising were the variable perceptions
of whether someone's property is
protected against wildfire; lower-income
respondents are more likely to feel less
protected than wealthier people. People
are also motivated to perform wildfire
mitigations on their property because of
their wildfire experiences, concern for
family safety, and concern about potential
property damage. Even so, knowledge
of steps to take to reduce wildfire risks,
how to conduct mitigations, and where
to find assistance was limited.
Incentives was an area that offered
deeper insights. Few respondents, all of
whom lived in high-hazard areas, had
received an incentive to conduct mitigation.
Of the 78 percent who hadn't,
nearly all were unaware that such incentives
existed. But people who received at
least one incentive were extremely likely
to take at least two mitigation actions.
project with the Fire Protection Research Foundation to help
inform our approach to this challenge. " Stakeholder Perceptions
of Wildfire Mitigations for Homes, " slated for completion
soon, is a set of surveys for residents, fire departments, and
local officials in high-hazard counties in California and Oregon.
We wanted to better understand perceptions of wildfire risk and
mitigations, and gauge where people believe the responsibility
for property protection from wildfire lies. We wondered if these
findings might help NFPA and other safety advocates develop
meaningful messages and outreach strategies that could better
convey the reason and need for new or expanded regulation.
The survey was completed late last year, and the findings
reinforce trends we have observed for years-including the
finding that wildfire experience strongly influences people's
concern about wildfire risks. Respondents with direct or indirect
experience with wildfire-if they or someone they knew
34 | NFPA JOURNAL * SPRING 2024
Respondents placed a moderate to very high value on the costs
of property upgrades and maintenance to protect against wildfires.
Even so, most respondents share common barriers to
action, including the cost of mitigation, the lack of knowledge,
lack of physical ability or equipment, and lack of time.
Overall, these findings reinforce the importance of our Outthink
Wildfire policy initiative. Knowing that people living in
areas of high wildfire hazard are deeply concerned about their
risks, motivated to learn more about mitigation, and willing
to commit to action with relatively small incentives gives us a
positive message to share with policymakers. While voluntary
wildfire mitigation efforts alone cannot stop wildfire disasters,
neither can regulations alone if public sentiment hinders
acceptance and compliance. A comprehensive approach to
community wildfire mitigation must include education, technical
assistance, financial incentives, and enforceable standards
for new construction and rebuilding.
MICHELE STEINBERG is director of the Wildfire Division at NFPA.
FROM NFPA'S
WILDFIRE DIVISION
MICHAEL HOEWELER
http://www.nfpa.org/wildfire
NFPA Journal - Spring 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - Spring 2024
