The Evolving Wildfire Crisis: The Need to Adapt Statewide Extension Efforts to Address Diverse Challenges

Authors

• Alison L. Deak, University of California, Agriculture and Natural ResourcesFollow
• Kathryn E. Low, University of California, Agriculture and Natural ResourcesFollow
• Luca Carmignani, San Diego State UniversityFollow
• Ryan E. Tompkins, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Barbara Satink Wolfson, University of California, Agriculture and Natural ResourcesFollow

Volume

64

Issue

2

Abstract

There are many factors that contribute to wildfire preparedness in California. Although effective wildfire preparedness requires tailored regional approaches, it is crucial to understand how statewide Extension programs can address shared challenges while augmenting region-specific strategies. For the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network to meet the growing demands for fire-related Extension programming, a team of advisors surveyed California residents to refine the goals of our Extension programs. Survey results highlight key gaps in fire-related Extension education that residents in California and beyond need to reduce their wildfire risk.

Authors’ Contribution Statement

ALD, KEL, LC, RET, and BSW contributed to all aspects of this study's conceptualization, data collection, and data analysis. ALD, KEL, LC, and BSW contributed to the writing, review, and editing of the manuscript.

Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Deak, A., Low, K., Carmignani, L., Tompkins, R., & Wolfson, B. (2026). The Evolving Wildfire Crisis: The Need to Adapt Statewide Extension Efforts to Address Diverse Challenges. Journal of Extension, 64(2), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.66752/1077-5315.5742