Hypothesis 1: previous fires managed for multiple objectives influenced the extent and severity of, and fire management tactics used on, recent wildfiresobjective 1 identify the vegetation fuel,…

Hypothesis 1: previous fires managed for multiple objectives influenced the extent and severity of, and fire management tactics used on, recent wildfiresobjective 1 identify the vegetation fuel, weather, bioclimatic, topographic, and previous fire characteristics under which the 2022 red fire and the 2013 rim fire either burned over previous fires (reburn) or stopped at previous fire boundaries (extent-limited).objective 2 model counterfactual scenario of the 2022 red fire and the 2013 rim fire in the absence of previous managed fire.objective 3 determine how presence and absence (i.e., counterfactual scenario) of previous managed fires influenced fire management tactics on the 2022 red fire and the 2013 rim fire.hypothesis 2: the influence of previous managed fires on subsequent fire differs between upper elevation mixed-conifer forests and lower elevation pine-mixed-conifer forestsobjective 4 identify key similarities and differences in vegetation and fuel recovery following fire in illilouette creek basin to that in frog creek drainage.objective 5 determine how findings from objective 5 would influence treatment longevity across the two bioclimatic topographic settings.objective 6 develop a landscape-level metric of hazardous wildfire potential based on findings from objectives 4 and 5.large portions of the publicly managed forests in the southern sierra nevada have plans in place to significantly expand the use of managed wildfire to restore departed ecosystems and stem the current trends of increasingly detrimental wildfire effects. These results will support decisions on managing wildfires for multiple objectives by providing robust scientific evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of managed wildfire as a landscape-level fuel treatment strategy. The combination of strong empirical data from the rich contemporary fire histories in both study areas, with a novel counterfactual modeling approach will allow US to quantify actual fire effects across landscapes and estimate impacts of its removal. We will communicate the results of this project broadly in the form of journal articles and publication policy briefs, as well as through participation in management-oriented field trips and workshops.