The Meaning of Knowledge and Attitudes

“Knowledge” means the amount of information that people have about fire.  This includes awareness of wildfire causes, objectives of prescribed fire, fire behavior, fire history, and the effects that fire has on plants and wildlife among other issues.  Knowledge can be gained through formal or informal education, as well as direct experience.  People can learn about fire through empirical observation when they witness the effects of fire when they encounter areas that have been burned by wildfires or prescribed fires.  An increasing number of people will have the opportunity to witness burned landscapes as the use of prescribed fire increases and as public visitation to wildlands increases (Taylor and others 1986).

People learn about fire through informal networks of family and friends, from the media, from educational campaigns, and from land management professionals in local, state, and federal agencies (Shelby and Speaker 1990; Winter and Fried 2000).  As people learn more about fire, their attitudes change and become more positive (Cortner and others 1984; Loomis, Bair, and Gonzalez-Caban 2001).  Education programs that teach people about the uses and effects of fire can cause people to be more supportive of fire management (Shelby and Speaker 1990).

“Attitudes” are an individual’s or group’s opinions, preferences, feelings, emotions, and political positions. A person’s attitudes towards fire reflect his/her cultural background, geographical location, and values about the relationship between people and the environment (Steel, List, and Shindler 1994; Steinitz 1990).  Attitudes about fire are also shaped by what people know about the phenomenon and their personal experiences with it.  Attitudes related to fire include the beliefs people have about the effects of fire on human health, concerns about air quality and water quality, interest in wildlife, preferences for fuel reduction methods, emotions related to “nature,” and trust in wildland firefighters and prescribed fire workers. 

The terms beliefs, opinions, and perceptions are used interchangeably in this encyclopedia.