SCC-PG: Co-designing AI-Driven Fire Preparedness Assessment Tools to Meet Community Needs in the Wildland-Urban Interface.

Conservation Science Partners, Inc., Truckee CA

Investigators

Abstract

Wildland fires have increased in number and area across the western US as a result of hotter, drier climates and higher fuel loads. In addition to the environmental factors contributing to increased wildfire risk, rapid growth in the US wildland-urban interface (WUI) has raised the risk of loss of lives and homes. A key aspect of promoting socio-ecological resilience in the WUI is incentivizing actions that limit the destructiveness of eventual fires. Creating defensible space by reducing vegetation (fuel load) to prevent or slow fire spread to and from structures is a widely supported strategy for reducing the risk of loss to wildfire; however, novel analytical methods are required to quantify fuel loads, and thus wildfire risk, at the spatial scales relevant to mitigation planning. Wildfire hazard mitigation is greatly needed in communities throughout the WUI in the American West, but resources for mitigation are limited. Wildland fire risk intersects with social vulnerability, where residents with higher social vulnerability are less likely to be able to afford expensive fuels reduction treatments or engage with wildfire mitigation programs. It is critical not only to ensure that fire-prone communities have the scientific information needed to mitigate fire threat, but also that development, delivery, and application of this information is tailored to the unique social needs of each community. Perceptions of fire risk, attitudes toward fire preparedness, and vulnerability to wildfire impacts vary within and among WUI communities, driven by socioeconomic status, place dependency, experience with fire, and other factors. This project proposes technological advances in mapping forest structure at fine spatial scales (<30 m) employing artificial intelligence (AI) approaches can be used to estimate fire risk at the spatial scales relevant for mitigation planning. The fuels information will be integrated into tools and applications which will be designed to address the information needs of communities, co-developed with communities, piloted in communities, and evaluated by communities. The project proposes to scope and pilot co-development of AI-based fire preparedness assessment tools in communities in Nevada County, CA. Ultimately, the co-development of these tools will inform the deployment, evaluation, and application of fire preparedness assessment tools to community planning and policy and scaled up to a broader range of communities in diverse western U.S. geographies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.