Date of Award

Spring 6-1-2026

Document Type

Thesis (Undergraduate)

Department

Environmental Studies

First Advisor

S. Joseph Tumber-Dávila

Second Advisor

Ross Virginia

Abstract

The frequency, severity, and total area burned by wildfires has escalated dramatically alongside a similar increase in federal suppression spending. However, contemporary management remains rooted in a suppression‑centric framework that originated in the early‑20th‑century. Our current wildfire management practices are unsustainable in the face of this growing threat. Using an approach that blends historical analysis and spatial analysis, this thesis asks how current spatial patterns of burn probability (BP) overlap with existing fire-response infrastructure and population in eight states (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming) in the American West and which barriers inhibit the adoption of proactive strategies that seek to decrease the likelihood of wildfire rather than continuing to emphasize response after an event. This analysis maps publicly available GIS layers including burn probability, federal lands, and census-block group population data revealing areas with high BP have a corresponding lack of access to response structures like fire departments. These maps also reveal that residents in these areas live further away from response structures. Policy recommendations derived from these findings prioritize targeted implementation of proactive wildfire management in these areas to decrease future spending on suppression. In framing this research through the incipient stage, this thesis argues that a shift from reactive firefighting and suppression to proactive risk mitigation is essential to address the growing costs and consequences of wildfires.

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