Rapid growth of the US wildland-urban interface raises wildfire risk

Volker C. Radeloff; David P. Helmers; H. Anu Kramer; Miranda H. Mockrin; Patricia M. Alexandre; Avi Bar-Massada; Van Butsic; Todd J. Hawbaker; Sebastián Martinuzzi; Alexandra D. Syphard; Susan I. Stewart

doi:10.1073/pnas.1718850115

Rapid growth of the US wildland-urban interface raises wildfire risk

Volker C. Radeloff, David P. Helmers, H. Anu Kramer, Miranda H. Mockrin, Patricia M. Alexandre, Avi Bar-Massada, Van Butsic, Todd J. Hawbaker, Sebastián Martinuzzi, Alexandra D. Syphard, Susan I. Stewart

Department of Biology and Environment (Oranim Campus)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is the area where houses and wildland vegetation meet or intermingle, and where wildfire problems are most pronounced. Here we report that the WUI in the United States grew rapidly from 1990 to 2010 in terms of both number of new houses (from 30.8 to 43.4 million; 41% growth) and land area (from 581,000 to 770,000 km²; 33% growth), making it the fastest-growing land use type in the conterminous United States. The vast majority of new WUI areas were the result of new housing (97%), not related to an increase in wildland vegetation. Within the perimeter of recent wildfires (1990–2015), there were 286,000 houses in 2010, compared with 177,000 in 1990. Furthermore, WUI growth often results in more wildfire ignitions, putting more lives and houses at risk. Wildfire problems will not abate if recent housing growth trends continue.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3314-3319
Number of pages	6
Journal	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume	115
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1718850115
State	Published - 27 Mar 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 National Academy of Sciences. All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Development
Fragmentation
Housing growth
Sprawl
Wildfires

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

Access to Document

10.1073/pnas.1718850115

Cite this

Radeloff, V. C., Helmers, D. P., Anu Kramer, H., Mockrin, M. H., Alexandre, P. M., Bar-Massada, A., Butsic, V., Hawbaker, T. J., Martinuzzi, S., Syphard, A. D., & Stewart, S. I. (2018). Rapid growth of the US wildland-urban interface raises wildfire risk. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115(13), 3314-3319. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1718850115

@article{0e816df2d44942d8b312ac2c2ed7bb3c,

title = "Rapid growth of the US wildland-urban interface raises wildfire risk",

abstract = "The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is the area where houses and wildland vegetation meet or intermingle, and where wildfire problems are most pronounced. Here we report that the WUI in the United States grew rapidly from 1990 to 2010 in terms of both number of new houses (from 30.8 to 43.4 million; 41% growth) and land area (from 581,000 to 770,000 km2; 33% growth), making it the fastest-growing land use type in the conterminous United States. The vast majority of new WUI areas were the result of new housing (97%), not related to an increase in wildland vegetation. Within the perimeter of recent wildfires (1990–2015), there were 286,000 houses in 2010, compared with 177,000 in 1990. Furthermore, WUI growth often results in more wildfire ignitions, putting more lives and houses at risk. Wildfire problems will not abate if recent housing growth trends continue.",

keywords = "Development, Fragmentation, Housing growth, Sprawl, Wildfires",

author = "Radeloff, {Volker C.} and Helmers, {David P.} and {Anu Kramer}, H. and Mockrin, {Miranda H.} and Alexandre, {Patricia M.} and Avi Bar-Massada and Van Butsic and Hawbaker, {Todd J.} and Sebasti{\'a}n Martinuzzi and Syphard, {Alexandra D.} and Stewart, {Susan I.}",

year = "2018",

month = mar,

day = "27",

doi = "10.1073/pnas.1718850115",

language = "English",

volume = "115",

pages = "3314--3319",

journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America",

issn = "0027-8424",

publisher = "National Academy of Sciences",

number = "13",

}

Radeloff, VC, Helmers, DP, Anu Kramer, H, Mockrin, MH, Alexandre, PM, Bar-Massada, A, Butsic, V, Hawbaker, TJ, Martinuzzi, S, Syphard, AD & Stewart, SI 2018, 'Rapid growth of the US wildland-urban interface raises wildfire risk', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 115, no. 13, pp. 3314-3319. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1718850115

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rapid growth of the US wildland-urban interface raises wildfire risk

AU - Radeloff, Volker C.

AU - Helmers, David P.

AU - Anu Kramer, H.

AU - Mockrin, Miranda H.

AU - Alexandre, Patricia M.

AU - Bar-Massada, Avi

AU - Butsic, Van

AU - Hawbaker, Todd J.

AU - Martinuzzi, Sebastián

AU - Syphard, Alexandra D.

AU - Stewart, Susan I.

PY - 2018/3/27

Y1 - 2018/3/27

N2 - The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is the area where houses and wildland vegetation meet or intermingle, and where wildfire problems are most pronounced. Here we report that the WUI in the United States grew rapidly from 1990 to 2010 in terms of both number of new houses (from 30.8 to 43.4 million; 41% growth) and land area (from 581,000 to 770,000 km2; 33% growth), making it the fastest-growing land use type in the conterminous United States. The vast majority of new WUI areas were the result of new housing (97%), not related to an increase in wildland vegetation. Within the perimeter of recent wildfires (1990–2015), there were 286,000 houses in 2010, compared with 177,000 in 1990. Furthermore, WUI growth often results in more wildfire ignitions, putting more lives and houses at risk. Wildfire problems will not abate if recent housing growth trends continue.

AB - The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is the area where houses and wildland vegetation meet or intermingle, and where wildfire problems are most pronounced. Here we report that the WUI in the United States grew rapidly from 1990 to 2010 in terms of both number of new houses (from 30.8 to 43.4 million; 41% growth) and land area (from 581,000 to 770,000 km2; 33% growth), making it the fastest-growing land use type in the conterminous United States. The vast majority of new WUI areas were the result of new housing (97%), not related to an increase in wildland vegetation. Within the perimeter of recent wildfires (1990–2015), there were 286,000 houses in 2010, compared with 177,000 in 1990. Furthermore, WUI growth often results in more wildfire ignitions, putting more lives and houses at risk. Wildfire problems will not abate if recent housing growth trends continue.

KW - Development

KW - Fragmentation

KW - Housing growth

KW - Sprawl

KW - Wildfires

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85044406339&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1718850115

DO - 10.1073/pnas.1718850115

M3 - Article

C2 - 29531054

AN - SCOPUS:85044406339

SN - 0027-8424

VL - 115

SP - 3314

EP - 3319

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

IS - 13

ER -

Rapid growth of the US wildland-urban interface raises wildfire risk

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this