Learn how NNPHI's wildland urban interface (WUI) steering committee is shaping emergency preparedness communication.
Communicating during an emergency is hard. Communicating about wildland-urban interface (WUI) wildfires is even harder.
Conditions can change quickly: fire behavior shifts, smoke travels unpredictably, and air quality impacts don’t always follow jurisdictional boundaries. Public health and emergency response teams are often working with incomplete or rapidly evolving information while still needing to deliver clear, timely messages that communities can trust and act on.
As fires burn fuel such as trees, structures, and vehicles, they release emissions like particulate matter and harmful chemicals into nearby communities, creating serious and often fast-moving public health risks. These risks are no longer limited to a small population. Today, close to one-third of the U.S. population – nearly 50 million homes – are located in the wildland urban interface, making effective communication more critical than ever.
On November 6, 2025, NNPHI hosted the committee’s inaugural meeting, beginning meaningful discussions about how data and communication tools can better support public health professionals working in wildfire-prone regions.
Building on this foundation, NNPHI convened the group for a focused discussion centered on public health communication. The conversation explored how messaging can better support communities living at the intersection of wildland and urban environments before, during, and after wildfire events.
That focus on real-world application was echoed early in the conversation. Steering committee member William Dresser, a researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder, shared why he was drawn to the committee:
“I applied to this committee to better understand the practical applications of my work not just assembling data and publishing papers, but how that information is used on the ground, how it’s communicated to stakeholders, and why those concerns are valid.”
Throughout the discussion, steering committee members reflected on the current state of wildfire health messaging and the challenges practitioners face in aligning public health guidance with emergency alerts, media coverage, and information coming from multiple agencies. When messages compete or conflict, communities can be left unsure about how to protect their health even when guidance is well-intentioned.
Steering committee members brought diverse perspectives shaped by their roles across emergency management and public health. From coordinating response and disseminating information, to working directly with communities on the ground, participants emphasized the value of learning across jurisdictions and disciplines.
“We talk a lot about wildfire with emergency managers and firefighters, but it’s powerful to hear how different groups are approaching the same concern from different angles,” said Steering committee member Birch Barron, Director of Emergency Management for Eagle County, Colorado. “That broader perspective helps us better understand the many sides of the wildfire problem.”
From a local, operational standpoint, participants discussed gaps in existing WUI communication tools and resources, particularly when working across state and local boundaries. Ensuring that science, data, and messaging are aligned and usable remains a challenge in fast-moving wildfire scenarios.
“There’s a real opportunity to better coordinate and unify science and communications across state and local boundaries,” said Steering committee memberClarissa Bogg-Blake, Director for the Clear Creek County Office of Emergency Management. “Not just to reduce risk, but at a minimum to better educate and come together around more effective education tools.”
Trust emerged as a consistent theme throughout the conversation. Committee members emphasized that even the most accurate information can fall short if it doesn’t reach people in ways that feel credible, accessible, and locally relevant.
“It’s not always that we need new information, sometimes it’s about trust,” shared Steering committee member Lisa Lamb from Sonoma County Environmental Health. “Partnering with community-based organizations and trusted messengers is critical to getting information out in a way that people will actually receive and use.”
Taken together, the discussion reinforced a shared understanding: effective wildfire health communication depends not only on accurate information, but on coordination across agencies, adaptability to community-specific needs, and trusted relationships that connect guidance to action.
This work is made possible through NNPHI’s collaboration with UL Research Institutes’ Chemical Insights, an NNPHI member institute. Their expertise in exposure science and chemical safety helps ground wildfire health communication in evidence and real-world impact.
The WUI Steering Committee will continue to convene to share insights, elevate practitioner voices, and shape practical communication tools for public health and emergency management professionals working in wildfire-prone communities.
To stay connected and hear directly from steering committee members, follow NNPHI on social media, where we’ll continue sharing discussion highlights, emerging themes, and future resources.
Have thoughts, questions, or perspectives to share? We welcome them. Reach out to the Environmental Health and Emergency Preparedness (EHEP) team to contribute ideas, share experiences, or continue the conversation.
