Wildland fire mitigation networks in the western United States

Multiorganisational networks have become the primary vehicle through which disaster policy is designed and administered. Numerous case studies reveal their importance and the role they play in all phases of disaster management. This research emphasis on the description of coordination and collaboration lacks a descriptive framework, however, for examining the capabilities and potentialities of networks. This paper provides an overview of the network and disaster management literature and suggests six basic components of a network structural framework that can be used by researchers and practitioners. The framework is then applied to six wildland fire mitigation networks in the United States as a means of illustrating how such networks are actually configured. The results of the empirical research show that the capacity of the networks is mixed, with most lacking the ability to assess risk and evaluate their activities.