Which Heritage Is Recognized After Catastrophic Events: A Study of the Aftermath of Forest Fire in Sweden

Objective  This paper describes how to recognize the legacy of landscapes after forest fires from the perspective of landscape change, revealing the multiple factors that shape landscapes, discourses about landscapes, and associated identities.

Methods  A case study approach was used to analyse the driving factors in the landscape of Västmanland, Sweden; and the development of heritage discourse in relation to the fire area was discussed in terms of both past connections and future heritage.

Results  Landscapes, as carriers and sources of identity and heritage, are characterized as a result of the action and interaction of natural or human factors. The drivers of change in the Swedish landscape are influenced and defined by landscape management.

Conclusion  The legacy of the forest fires continues with the establishment of nature reserves, but for a place like the fire zone, which represents a place of rejuvenation and creation of something new, it is important to first understand the values and aspirations of the local population, and then define the goals of the post-disaster landscape legacy in conjunction with the “external actors”.