Forest fires not only cause damage to ecosystems but also result in major socio-economic losses and in the worst cases loss of human life. Specifically, the incidence of fires in the overlapping areas between building structures and forest vegetation (wildland-urban interface, WUI) generates highly-complex emergencies due to the presence of people and goods. During the last decade in Spain, the occurrence of such fire events has led to the concept of wildlandurban interface which has been included, at least implicitly, in all regional forest fire management policies and which, in certain cases, has had a specific policy development.

This paper advocates establishing a WUI typology based on the elements and processes that make up these areas with the aim of adapting a fire management strategy tailored to the specific characteristics and needs of each one. On the other hand, it recognizes the need for an integrated response to this problem that encompasses different fields (forest and fire policy, civil protection, spatial planning) and different fire management phases (forecasting, prevention, suppression).