When the familiar becomes the unknown: Coping, caring, and coexisting in a fiery world

Eriksen, Christine (7 December 2023). When the familiar becomes the unknown: Coping, caring, and coexisting in a fiery world (Unpublished). In: AFE Fire Congress 2023: Closing Plenary Session. Monterey, California, USA. 7 December 2023.

Is home still home when the world around us has changed irrevocably yet seems oddly familiar? In this talk, I reflect on the challenges we, as a fire family, face in the context of catastrophic wildfires. Our transformation of Earth systems necessitates new understandings of the relationship between humans and fire. As we strive to (re)learn and (re)appreciate our relationship to fire in the Anthropocene, it is increasingly clear that we are all “on the fireline” in need of an anchor point. Finding an anchor point requires us to cope with the heavy toll frequent devastating wildfires is taking on our physical and mental wellbeing – be it as firefighters, cultural knowledge holders, land stewards, wildfire survivors, residents at-risk, or researchers. It also requires us to care deeply about changing the status quo, so we can coexist in a fiery world. In so doing, the power of generational knowledge, cultural diversity, and interdisciplinarity is a double-edged sword, with the ability to both enable vital change and to uphold problematic privilege.

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