ABSTRACT
In recent years, heightened attention to the social dimensions of wildfire has led to increased discussion of wildfire risk. One focus has been on the need to enhance the wildfire risk perception among homeowners living in high fire hazard areas. The underlying supposition is that once they understand risk, homeowners will then take action to reduce their exposure. This is based on two assumptions: that definitions of wildfire risk will be consistent across groups and that increased risk perception will necessarily lead to taking action. These assumptions are problematic, however, as research on other natural hazards has not found consistent evidence supporting either of these views (McCaffrey 2004a).
