When the wilderness burns: an analysis of current fire management and the case for prescribed fire in designated wilderness in the United States

Abstract Background United States wilderness areas face increasing challenges from altered fire regimes and climate change, and land managers face ever more complex decisions about fire use. While federal policies permit various fire management strategies in wilderness, including prescribed fire, managers predominantly rely on suppression despite broad support to restore and sustain fire's natural role in these landscapes. Consequently, wilderness fire regimes continue to diverge from historical norms. To better understand wilderness fire management, we used surveys and interviews with wilderness and fire managers to assess current fire management strategies, how they differ in wilderness versus non-wilderness areas, and the rationales behind wilderness fire management decisions. Results Respondents identified public perception, resource availability, and administrative hurdles as primary barriers to prescribed fire and managed wildfire. Notably, these constraints stem more from implementation challenges than from wilderness policy restrictions. Though prescribed fire is rarely used in wilderness, research participants expressed strong support for its expanded application. Conclusions Adequate plans, policies, and practices must accompany wilderness fire management ideals. Addressing risk aversion among decision-makers and building public trust will also benefit wilderness fire management. While allowing natural ignitions to burn in wilderness might be viewed as ideal, many wilderness areas may require active management through prescribed fire to restore historical conditions before natural fire regimes could safely resume. Our research demonstrates the need for wilderness fire management that balances sustaining wilderness qualities with the realities of historical fire regimes that were shaped in part by Indigenous people and challenges posed by legacies of fire exclusion compounded by a changing climate.