By Amelia Wells and Fire Networks Staff
Wildfire is a year-round risk to communities, defying any notion of “fire season”. In February, Oklahoma and Kansas burned. Nebraska faced historic wildfires in March. The Pacific Northwest and Mountain West have already experienced many destructive fires this summer. As anyone who works in the wildfire world knows, the flames are not going anywhere. Communities across the country must continue to adapt and learn to live with fire. As hard as we try, and as effective as we get at mitigation, losses and community impacts continue to thrust people into the long and winding recovery process.
Wildfire recovery at the community scale is somewhat enigmatic – there is no right way to tackle it and each place has different needs, values, and capacities. When it comes to populated areas, we’re only just beginning to amass lessons learned as more fire infiltrates WUI and urban spaces. We may have a long way to go, but there are many people dedicated to helping communities impacted by wildfire to rebuild, heal, and ultimately, become more resilient.
What follows is a collection of resources, information, and tools amassed over the course of six months from wildfire resilience practitioners focused on expanding our collective recovery knowledge.
Pre-Planning for Post-Fire Recovery
Recovery does not just happen after a fire event. Effective and efficient recovery is bolstered by planning. Wildfire planning is not new, however, recovery does need to be better incorporated into our mitigation and response planning efforts. The mechanisms to do so exist, including Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs), Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMPs), and Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) to name a few.
In Washington, both Washington Resource Conservation and Development (WRCD) and the Department of Natural Resources have developed tools to help communities plan for recovery.
- WRCD’s CWPP Post-Fire Recovery Planning Toolkit is designed for community members and planning partners involved in CWPP development or updates. It provides a structured approach to integrating wildfire recovery strategies by identifying key elements, engaging relevant stakeholders, and outlining actionable steps.
- DNR’s Recovery Readiness Guide & Toolkit supports those involved in recovery at the county and local level to develop shared understanding, plans, and processes that build critical recovery readiness for wildfire.
More information on both can be found at afterthefirewa.org/planning.
In Colorado, Wildfire Ready Watersheds (a program of the Colorado Water Conservation Board) has been implementing its WRAP framework, or Wildfire Ready Action Plans to help communities plan for post-fire hazards and develop local priorities and value oriented action plans. Chris Sturm presented on WRAPs to the Post-Fire Community of Practice, a recording of his presentation can be viewed here.
Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Recovery
Tending to mental and emotional health after a disaster is vital to the recovery of a community. The Hawai’i Office of Wellness and Resilience is in the process of co-creating materials to help people take a trauma-informed approach to disaster recovery in the Hawaiʻi Mental Health and Well-Being Framework for Disasters and Traumatic Events: A Trauma-Informed Approach.
Landowner Assistance
It can be confusing and overwhelming for residents to know where to turn for help after a fire. American Forests recently created a directory to help connect those seeking assistance to forestry grants and cost-share opportunities, information, and professional support. Directory: Forestry Grants, Programs, & Technical Assistance
To assist landowners in completing site assessments post-fire, Oregon State University’s Extension Service created the LEAF Tool based on OSU’s Landowner Experience After Fire (LEAF) study. This site assessment approach aims to help landowners create priorities and goals for their forest in the aftermath of a fire and connect them with the financial, technical, and physical resources needed to take action.
Additional Resources from the Field
After the Flames Conference & Presentations
Last April, wildfire recovery practitioners from across the country met in Cle Elum, Washington for the 2026 After the Flames Conference and Workshop hosted by Coalitions and Collaboratives. The theme was, “collective recovery from the ground up”, an apt choice for the specific time in which we find ourselves. Facing uncertainty around how federal support mechanisms will show up, neighborhoods, cities, counties, and states have to figure out what works best for their place and their people, together. Nearly a week long, the conference spanned topics from planning tools and hazard assessment to private landowner recovery and human dimensions research.For anyone who wasn’t able to attend, presentations can be downloaded here.
Select State-Scale Guidance and Tools
A number of states have created wildfire recovery guides or resources. This index of state-by state resources includes a selection of tools and guides available to communities.
Federal Policy
To stay informed about ongoing policy changes and federal agency reorganization, subscribe to the Alliance for Wildfire Resilience (AWR) Newsletter. AWR tracks wildfire-related legislation and policy at the federal level with their Bills and Recommendations Explorer.
We currently find ourselves in the middle of a devastating fire year. Communities across the country find themselves at the beginning of a long road to recovery. While it won’t be easy, the best way forward is defined by collaboration, learning, sharing, and support. Reach out to community members, reach out to each other, none of us are alone.