Can wildfires disrupt our sense of connectedness to beloved places?

In 2020, after burning for three months, the Cameron Peak Fire scorched more than 200,000 acres, making it the largest wildfire in Colorado history. Five years later, and more than a thousand miles away, a series of devastating wildfires continues to burn in Los Angeles. 

Anne Mook, senior team scientist at CSU's Institute for Research in the Social Sciences, along with Pilar Morales-Giner, a postdoctoral researcher at Spain's University of Granada, spoke with The Audit about their recently published research on the deeper impact wildfires can have on communities using the Cameron Peak Fire as a test case. The researchers explore how - for better and for worse - wildfires can reshape both our emotional and practical connections to our communities along with what lessons the Cameron Peak Fire could hold for LA.