Luna-Celino, Vanessa

Fire is a crucial tool for tropical subsistence agriculture, but without proper control, it can lead to unintended wildfires. Through a combination of agricultural calendars, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with over 60 farmers during four months of fieldwork in the Peruvian Andes, we evaluated current agricultural burning practices. Quechua farmers utilize fire to clear agricultural residue, manage weeds and shrubs, and prepare new or fallow land, mostly during the dry season. They demonstrate an understanding of fire behavior shaped by fuel, topography, and weather conditions, paralleling Western controlled burn practices. Despite this, escaped fires are common, though most are managed within an hour, with few requiring broader community intervention. Adaptation to changing fire risks is already underway, as farmers adjust their burning practices in response to evolving legal, communal, and environmental conditions. This study highlights the need for governments to support, rather than suppress, fire use by offering modern wildfire risk tools and technical assistance, aligning with farmers' existing knowledge and the challenges posed by increasing flammability in highland landscapes. These findings advocate for adaptive fire management approaches that can be applied in mountain regions and diverse settings across the Global South.

Fire is an essential tool in tropical subsistence agriculture but results in escaped fires when not adequately controlled. Specifically, the southern Peruvian Andes has a long history of anthropogenic fires, which have shaped the natural landscape over millennia. While the ecological role of fire is increasingly examined, research on how humans interact with fire is almost nonexistent in this region, and the government response is limited to fire suppression and burning prohibition. This research evaluated two Quechua communities and their collaborating external actors in the following aspects: (1) local perspectives on current and recent changes in community-based fire management; and (2) perceptions of key actors (farmers, firefighters, researchers, nonprofit organizations, protected areas, and government agents) of the role of fire and fire management strategies. Targeting three wildfire seasons (2021 to 2023), I employed participant observation, Q methodology, semi-structured interviews, and participatory methods. Over the past decade, both communities have adapted their responses to escaped fire incidents through collective learning and the incorporation of firefighting brigades, sanctions, and land use restrictions, often in collaboration with external actors. I also found different viewpoints among key actors on the role of fire ranging from emphasizing the negative impacts of fire on ecosystem services to acknowledging some benefits of fire on rural wellbeing. Regarding key actor viewpoints on fire management, they ranged from top-down fire suppression to community-based fire management. Participatory research methodologies were instrumental in facilitating dialogue and reflection on fire management and governance strategies among community members and external actors. This research underscores the importance of collaboration and community engagement in developing effective fire management practices tailored to local contexts.