ABSTRACT
Wildfires present complex problems arising from the interaction of physical, biological and social factors in different landscape settings. Fire ignition can occur naturally (e.g. by lightning strikes) or by people inadvertently during agricultural, recreational and sometimes everyday activities or deliberately (e.g. arson or when a controlled land management burn becomes out of control). Wildfires cause significant impacts and consequences in many countries around the world, with death and injury to people caused by heat exposure, smoke inhalation and falling debris along with mental health issues associated with psychological stress. This chapter foregrounds wildfire risk to lives and property on the rural–urban fringe – often termed the wildland–urban interface (WUI). As wildfire risk increases due to anthropogenically induced climate change and because more people are living in the WUI, wildfire management – including risk maps, fire ban legislation and volunteer firefighting – is becoming increasingly important.
