Drivers of international fire management personnel deployed to the United States

Sunniva Bloem; Alison C. Cullen; John T. Abatzoglou; Linda O. Mearns; Erin Belval

doi:10.1071/WF23093

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Next Contents Vol 33(3)

Drivers of international fire management personnel deployed to the United States

Sunniva Bloem ^A , Alison C. Cullen

^A ^* , John T. Abatzoglou ^B , Linda O. Mearns ^C and Erin Belval ^D

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A University of Washington, Box 353055, Seattle, WA 98195-3055, USA.

^B University of California Merced, Merced, California, USA.

^C National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder Colorado, USA.

^D USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, USA.

^* Correspondence to: alison@uw.edu

International Journal of Wildland Fire 33, WF23093 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF23093

Submitted: 16 June 2023 Accepted: 22 February 2024 Published: 15 March 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of IAWF. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Background

The rising occurrence of simultaneous large wildfires has put strain on United States national fire management capacity leading to increasing reliance on assistance from partner nations abroad. However, limited analysis exists on international resource-sharing patterns and the factors influencing when resources are requested and deployed.

Aims

This study examines the drivers of international fire management ground and overhead personnel deployed to the United States.

Methods

Using descriptive statistics and case examples data from 2008 to 2020, this study investigates the conditions under which international personnel are deployed to the United States and their relationship to domestic resource strain. Factors such as fire weather, fire simultaneity, and the impact on people and structures are analysed as potential drivers of demand for international resources. Additionally, barriers to resource sharing, including overlapping fire seasons between countries are examined.

Key results

The findings indicate that international personnel sharing is more likely when the United States reaches higher preparedness levels, experiences larger area burned, and when fires pose a greater impact on people and structures. However, overlapping fire seasons can limit the ability to share resources with partner nations.

Conclusions and implications

Understanding the factors influencing resource sharing can help improve collaboration efforts and enhance preparedness for future wildfire seasons.

Keywords: fire management, International resource sharing, international cooperation, key drivers, personnel, resources, simultaneity, wildfire.

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