The science and management of wildland fire is made up of many multifaceted continuums.

A clear understanding of these continuums and their relationship to planning, preparation, learning, response, implementation, and evaluation activities is important in order to fully understand the magnitude and extent of what is involved in this increasingly complex area.

A continuum of fire experience from the rookie firefighter to the seasoned fire manager reflects increasing skills and awareness. A continuum of vegetation succession through a post-burn environment of developing vegetation communities and periodic fire presence reflects the interactions of plants, fire, and the environment. A continuum of education ranging from basic fire courses to advanced degrees offered by Universities and certifications offered by professional societies provides an indication of the levels of knowledge and learning that now take place. A continuum of societal understanding extending from singular negative perceptions of fire to a much broader awareness of fire ecology is highly important to learning to live with and manage fire in the future.

Most important, there is the continuum of management activities encompassing the range of fuel treatments, prescribed burns, and vegetation management; seasonal wildfire pre-ignition planning to post-ignition response decisions and actions; and post-fire burned area rehabilitation, evaluation, and study of effects and post-burn community development. This continuum may be the most dynamic and most influential in regard to wildland fire management now and in the future.

This conference will be designed around these fire management continuums. We invite you to participate in this journey through the range of science and management activities that take place before a wildfire occurs, activities needed during a wildfire event, and the post fire activities and fire ecology. The continuum theme will resonate throughout the conference by emphasizing the fire experience, education, ecology, and management gradients.