Effectiveness of firebreaks: A review

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While firebreaks remain an important tool in wildfire management, their reliability is constrained under extreme fire conditions. Future research should prioritize the development of spatially explicit, predictive models that integrate fire weather, fuel continuity, topography, and suppression efforts; the expansion of standardized, georeferenced databases on firebreak breaches; and assessments of ecological and social trade-offs. Advances in remote sensing and high-resolution fire monitoring offer opportunities to better evaluate performance and anticipate breaches. Integrating firebreaks into broader, adaptive wildfire management strategies—including fuel reduction, land-use planning, and community preparedness—will be critical to enhancing landscape resilience and maximizing the protective benefits of these structures.