Mitigating the risk of wildfire in the wildland urban interface,Anchorage, Alaska, USA

摘要

In 2001, The US Forest Service declared Anchorage, Alaska, an urban wildland interfacerncommunity at high risk from wildfire. Anchorage is approximately 1,251,620 acres in sizernand home to half (265,000) of the state’s population. The majority of residents live within thernwildland urban interface, in areas with gravel, steep, narrow, non-connected roads, private wells,rnwood construction homes, hilly and canyon and high winds. Within the wildland urban interface,rn85,000 acres are forested with dead standing white spruce (Picea glauca) with a grass (Calamagrostisrncanadensis) understory as a result of a recent spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis)rninfestation. Wildfire behavior modeling predicts 1.2 Billion US in property damage will occurrnwithin the first 48hrs of a wildfire. Alaska is geographically isolated from the rest of the USA byrnCanada. The nearest mutual aid resources within Alaska will take approximately 1-2 hours to arrive.rnAdditional wildfire crews from the USA and Canada will not be able to arrive until 6-12rnhours later. It is this risk that has lead to a proactive locally driven initiative to mitigate the wildfirernfuel levels and educate residents about wildfire.