● The 2017 and 2024 Port Hills fires had extensive environmental and social impacts on surrounding communities.

● While the 2024 fires saw notable improvements in agency responses compared to 2017, residents still identified several areas where further enhancements are needed.

● The central research question is “Considering the 2017 and 2024 Port Hills fires, how can future agency responses be improved to better factor in residents' needs?”

● Focus groups and interviews were conducted with seven residents and community spokespersons, whose responses were transcribed and analysed to form key conclusions.

● Key findings include the overall improvements from the 2017 to 2024 fire response, animal evacuation concerns, accountability over the landscape management, and a desire from the community wanting information on the best ways to engage during an emergency response.

● Future research should expand the sample size, incorporate greater ethnic diversity, and explore the implications of property and insurance markets on wildfire response.

● Ultimately, we recommend that Christchurch City Council and Civil Defence Emergency Management prioritise developing stronger community resilience initiatives and involve residents more actively in decision-making processes around Port Hills development to ensure more effective responses to future fires.