Summary: 

Increasingly extreme wildfires entail disaster and socio-environmental injustices. Hence, wildfire practitioners and scientists are calling for different ways to deal with, and relate to wildfires. In particular, communicating about wildfires plays a critical role in accompanying such a change. However, Wildfire Risk Communication continues to focus mainly on the risk dimension of wildfires, communicating generic messages in top-down, unidirectional ways to citizens. 

Thus, we need to move beyond focussing only on wildfire risk, and instead recognise wildfires as long-term, complex processes  that are inherently part of our socio-environmental systems. This understanding calls for communicating about wildfires in more inclusive, locally situated, and participatory ways.

Particularly, my research focuses on Community-led Wildfire Communication, and how local initiatives play a key role in co-creating ways for Living with Wildfires. Through an in-depth case study with the association Pego Viu, and interviews with wildfire experts across the globe, my research aims to contribute to, and transform, wildfire communication practices and knowledge.

Keywords: 

community-led wildfire initiatives; bottom-up action; wildfire communication; local and traditional knowledges.