Expanding urban areas have brought an increasing number of people into close proximity to extensively managed wildland, creating a new natural hazard — the wildland fire hazard. Public officials in Southern California, for example, have suggested programs for protecting urban residents. This study examines why the urban public has not been receptive to adopting these programs. Results from an analysis which links fire awareness, risk perceptions and policy preferences indicate that urban residents have a low initial awareness to fire severity, assign low probabilities to occurrences, and prefer policy strategies that shift the hazard management responsibility to public resource managers.