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Environmental Hazards

Environmental Hazards 8 (2009) 38–51

research paper

Comparison of homeowner response to wildfire risk among towns with and without wildfire management

Hilary Faulkner, Bonita L. McFarlane and Tara K. McGee

Few studies have examined the relationship between wildfire management by government agencies and homeowner wildfire risk mitigation. The goal of this paper is to compare perception of the wildfire risk, attribution of responsibility for mitigation, awareness of wildfire and mitigation, and adoption of wildfire mitigation activities among homeowners in towns where wildfire management activities have been completed by government (management group) and towns where no activities have been completed (no management group). Data were collected by mail survey of homeowners in six communities in Alberta, Canada during 2007. Results showed the people in the management group expressed higher levels of perceived risk and greater awareness of wildfire and mitigation than those in the no management group, but they did not attribute greater responsibility for mitigation to the homeowner nor complete more mitigation activities on their properties.

Keywords: natural hazard; risk management; social norms; wildfire; wildland urban interface

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