Snuff It Out: Extinguishing the Disparity of Access to Shelters for Disadvantaged Communities in Wildfire-Prone Areas

George Mason University, Fairfax VA

Investigators

Abstract

Wildfires can have detrimental effects on the safety, economy, and well-being of affected communities with the risk borne disproportionately by disadvantaged communities. A critical factor that can prevent wildfires from turning into a human disaster is “access,” which refers to the ease of reaching shelters and is the product of both mobility and location of shelters. Despite its crucial importance, the state-of-the-art solutions and practices currently lack a systematic framework that determines access during wildfire events while incorporating equity considerations. The overarching goal of this Disaster Resilience Research Grant (DRRG) project is to incorporate equity into wildfire preparedness strategies and minimize the equity of access gap to resources between disadvantaged and advantaged communities. The adverse effects of wildfires can be mitigated if a community understands its existing vulnerabilities and adapts strategic preparedness plans before a disaster to build resilience. Wildfire preparedness strategies, however, must be formulated and implemented through the lens of equity and justice. For example, for residents who do not have access to transportation, a simple task like locating and driving to an American Red Cross shelter is not feasible. This Disaster Resilience Research Grant project develops a science-informed community-based solution for disadvantaged communities to augment equity discrepancies and community resilience to the devasting impacts of the ongoing challenge for residents of wildfire-prone areas. It fulfills three objectives: (i) it quantifies disparities in shelter access between disadvantaged and advantaged communities, (ii) it optimizes access-related equity through short- and long-term wildfire preparedness strategies, and (iii) it develops a science-based community-centered interactive strategic planning platform for public officials and community members. This is exercised in close collaboration with our community partners in Lake County, California, where 60% of the land has burned between 2015 and 2020, possesses key characteristics of an at-risk community, and is home to a significant population of underserved residents, including indigenous people. The potential benefit to society from the researched project is improving the resilience of disadvantaged communities and equipping the community, emergency management, and emergency responders with the knowledge and science-based tools required to make informed decisions and decrease the escapable repercussions on disadvantaged communities. 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.