Ash Everywhere: Place Attachment and Meanings in the Aftermath of Wildfires

Abstract

Wildfires can lead to drastic environmental changes that pose a threat to communities’ understandings of place. While previous research has explored the connections between environmental change and place attachment, less is known about the relationship between place meanings and environmental disasters in combination with other drivers of change such as demographic dynamics and climate change. The main goal of this article is to enhance understanding of how wildfire-related experiences impact place meanings. Through semi-structured interviews with communities who were affected by wildfires in rural Colorado, we clarify the neglected relationship between environmental disasters and place attachment and place meanings. Specifically, we identify how place meanings are channeled through different dimensions of place attachment, namely place affection and place awareness. By differentiating these two dimensions, we indicate practical possibilities for addressing climatic and environmental change, such as through community building, education on resource conservation, and wildfire–risk management.