In April 2020, Wonder Labs brought together a Working Group to undertake National Science Foundation-funded convergence research on Wildfire Preparedness and Evacuation Planning in a Pandemic. The Working Group is comprised of social science and public health researchers, representatives from public agencies and non-profit organizations.

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The research aim was to study the social, ecological, and public health dimensions of wildfires during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective was to examine how communities in two locations at very high-risk from wildfire impacts – Nevada County in California and Larimer County in Colorado – perceived and practiced safety as they prepared for wildfires and recovered from wildfires during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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The Working Group conducted in-depth virtual interviews with institutional representatives from fire management, forest management, emergency management, key utilities such as water and electricity, and with community representatives from volunteer networks, including the Firewise communities and prescribed burn associations, and a range of regional and community-based organizations. The first round of virtual interviews was conducted between June–August 2020, before the fires, and the second round of virtual interviews was conducted between November 2020–February 2021, after the fires. 

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The Working Group’s research outcomes include: an in-depth report, invited blogs and Op-Eds, and a journal article. Please see the publications page for further details. It is hoped these findings and recommendations will lead to the development of inclusive, responsive, and people-centered policies for wildfire resilience, in the context of cascading public health, social, and environmental crises. Please reach out to the Working Group Lead, Dr. Shefali Juneja Lakhina, shefali@lakhina.com with your questions and suggestions.