President’s Desk: Reflections on Maui
BY JOAQUIN RAMIREZ
In the summer of 2022, I wrote about the tragic losses from wildfires across Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and in my home country of Spain. Once again, as the summer of 2023 unfolded, we were all reminded of the challenge that wildfires pose to our communities and landscapes.
On Aug. 8, a wildfire gripped the western side of the island of Maui, Hawaii, claiming the lives of 99 people, destroying more than 2,200 structures, and obliterating the historic town of Lahaina. These tragic events serve as a stark reminder of how vulnerable the islands and their communities are to wildfires. While Maui is a global destination, attracting visitors from all corners of the world to enjoy paradise, many of these visitors lack an understanding of the local terrain and associated risks.
This year, Tenerife and Madeira faced similar challenges, and the land of Alexander the Great experienced the largest European fire on record. The events of the summer emphasize the pressing need for extensive international collaboration to prevent such tragedies.
Wildfire science informs us that the Maui event resulted from a complex interplay of weather, vegetation, infrastructure, response, operational, and social challenges; while attributing it solely to hurricane winds is an oversimplification, weather science underscores the impact of changing pressure systems and downslope wind events on fire behavior.
The Lāhainā incident also highlights the necessity of advanced forecasting. To frame the risk effectively, we require proper weather station monitoring to understand real-time conditions and robust warning alert systems that provide residents with the most pertinent information for timely action.
Reflecting on the tragedy, we must ask how to be proactive. Can we rely solely on science to raise awareness within our society, urging preparedness for extreme events? Fire is fundamentally a social problem, and we must lead our society with the right set of strategies for living with fire in a more resilient manner.
To address these questions, I believe we need to invest more in both physical and social sciences to prevent similar disasters. We must ensure that communities at risk have the infrastructure for real-time risk monitoring and the ability to plan effectively for evolving risk conditions. Citizens must also play a role by considering the type of construction they employ, the importance of resilient housing, and best practices to adopt.
The tragedy underscores the need for our association to continue its community-focused efforts, including improving science, promoting positive land and vegetation management practices, advocating for prescribed burns, and advancing public safety solutions that effectively safeguard communities. Wildland fire professionals must remain engaged year-round because there is much work to be done.
Furthermore, we must ensure that all voices and backgrounds are part of our association’s efforts.
I am pleased to announce that our association is introducing new membership levels and corporate engagement opportunities to enable more individuals to join our important work. The IAWF membership committee has diligently worked on this initiative, guided by the following goals:
The tragedy underscores the need for our association to continue its community-focused efforts, including improving science, promoting positive land and vegetation management practices, advocating for prescribed burns, and advancing public safety solutions that effectively safeguard communities.
• Ensure IAWF membership is accessible to anyone who wishes to be part of our community, regardless of their ability to pay the full membership fee.
• Increase membership in underserved countries to facilitate global knowledge sharing.
• Foster relationships with corporate and organizational partners to promote additional support.
Reduced-rate individual memberships will be accessible to those previously constrained by economic or geographic factors, students, early career professionals, seasonal and volunteer firefighters, and retirees.
Current and new members applying at the full rate can sponsor a member or contribute to an IAWF initiative, such as a conference or academic scholarships, to offset the reduced-rate memberships for those in need. Additionally, we are introducing various organizational membership levels to expand the types of valuable corporate and organizational partnerships that the association enjoys and to create more opportunities for additional support.
I am immensely proud of our association and the path that lies ahead. Traditionally, association presidents serve for two years before passing the torch to continue our journey together. As my tenure concludes in 2023, I want to express my deep gratitude for the honor of serving as your president. I am genuinely pleased with what we have accomplished over these past two years, including opening our membership to new voices, giving the association a more international perspective, enhancing the organization of our conferences, solidifying strategic partnerships with leading organizations, transitioning our International Journal of Wildland Fire to open access starting in 2024, and advancing wildfire science and operations understanding through the development of two association position papers that will guide us and our community into the future.
I invite you to join me in congratulating Kelly Martin on her election as the next IAWF president. Martin has served as a board member since 2019 and brings a diverse background in land management, fire operations, and ecosystem health, along with a strong commitment to creating a more inclusive association and wildfire community. I highlighted Martin in my first column, and I am deeply grateful for her willingness to serve all of us, demonstrating true leadership in action. With Trevor Howard serving as the new vice president and our new board members, I look forward to supporting them in addressing the new challenges and successes we will face together.
With that, I hope to see many of you at our upcoming conferences. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Stay safe out there, and hasta la vista, amigos.
