This Research Front comprises papers that highlight some of the contributions the social sciences can make to improving our ability to manage wildfire risk to individuals and communities. This collection of papers draws on the work of researchers from a range of the social sciences, with results that have implications for both policy and practice. The papers cover the controversial issue of staying and defending or early evacuation, and issues of children’s understanding of bushfire risk, indigenous knowledge of fire, and the meaning of ‘shared responsibility’. Each paper highlights important challenges and ideas for fire management.