North Central Research Station

Fire Management

Wildland Urban Interface

The wildland-urban interface (WUI), the zone where natural areas meet human development, holds the greatest concentration of houses and people at risk from wildland fire in the U.S. The expansion of the WUI in recent decades has major implications for fire management. We map and analyze the size and extent of the WUI across the United States from 1940 and looking ahead to 2030 to help policy makers, managers, state agencies, and communities reduce current wildfire hazards and plan for the future.

Research Products

Wildland Urban Interface in the United States

Research Summary

Mapping the Wildland-Urban Interface

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