Preparing for more wildfires as CSU researchers focus on Colorado's future
Colorado's wildfire season is once again highlighting the growing challenges communities face as fires become more frequent, destructive and difficult to manage.
Research from Colorado State University suggests the West could experience two to six times more damaging wildfires by the middle of the century. The research is raising bigger questions about how Colorado and other Western states prepare for a future with more fire — from prevention and firefighting resources to land management, rebuilding and public policy.
"We live in these fire-prone landscapes, and we have to be ready for it," said Courtney Schultz, director of CSU's School of Sustainable Futures. "You can harden your homes and make a huge difference when fire comes through. You just have to prepare so we can be resilient."
"The estimates are that 85% of wildfires actually result from human ignitions, with 15% from lightning," Schultz said. "So, people kind of extend the fire season to be year-round."
That means prevention remains a critical part of reducing wildfire risk. Everyday decisions, from safely extinguishing campfires to properly maintaining equipment, can help prevent fires from starting.
At CSU, Schultz said the university is also working to prepare students to think differently about climate change, drought and wildfire.
The School of Sustainable Futures is developing programs designed to move students beyond simply studying projections about what could happen.
Instead, students are encouraged to imagine the future they want to help create and identify pathways to get there.
"Futures work takes a unique approach to thinking about the future by using particular methods to place yourself in the future, think about what you might be facing and be better prepared for it," Schultz said. "The science shows that if you really think about the future, it makes you feel more hopeful, gives you more of a sense of agency and helps you become more resilient when things do come."
That process includes studying the forces already changing society — including climate, technology and economic and social shifts — before considering multiple possible futures and the actions needed to reach them.
Schultz said the goal is to give students and communities a greater sense of agency at a time when climate projections can sometimes make the future feel predetermined.
"I think it's really important for the communities we work with and for our students," Schultz said.
The goal, Schultz said, is not to eliminate fire from Colorado's landscape, but to help communities become more resilient in a future where fire is increasingly part of life in the West.
