Living with wildfire in Teton County, Wyoming: 2021 data report

Wildfire affects many types of communities and is a particular concern for communities in the wildland urban interface (WUI), such as those of Teton County, Wyoming. The core intent of this project was to provide evidence to support the Teton Area Wildfire Protection Coalition (TAWPC) and affiliated organizations in their wildfire mitigation and education programming. This report analyzes existing wildfire risk data collected in fall 2020 and pairs it with social data collected in the winter and spring of 2021, in order to better understand residents’ knowledge, experiences, and perceptions about wildfire risk. This greater understanding will help TAWPC focus its programs and outreach and ultimately promote increased mitigation and reduced wildfire risk in Teton County. The results of the wildfire risk assessment, covering 725 private residential properties in the study area, suggest that 89% face high, very high, or extreme risk of wildfire. In comparison, only 41% of residents estimated their risk of wildfire to be high, very high, or extreme. This suggests a “gap” between rapid assessment and survey estimates.