The risk of wildland fires is of significant concern in the southwestern United States. While the southwest has a long history as a fireprone ecosystem, years of drought and insect infestation have increased fire risk. Paired with these ecological forces is the increased risk caused by the concentration of populations in the wildland-urban interface. The majority of population increase in the southwest has been accounted for by people of color. An effective approach to fire management, including prevention and suppression, rests in part on public acceptance and compliance with measures that impact individuals and communities. Broader public support can pave the way for more effective management, for example through compliance with seasonal fire closures of natural resource areas. Trust in natural resource agencies has been documented as essential to gaining public acceptance and compliance with natural resource plans and management techniques, and appears to have direct applications to fire management. Research suggests that environmental attitudes, risk perceptions, and trust in agencies all vary by race/ethnicity and gender. In this paper, findings from a telephone survey of residents in Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico (n=1,811) are reported. We examine the role of trust and salient values similarity in opinions regarding fire management. Results demonstrate the significance of perceived similar salient values, trust, and concern in responses to fire management. Analyses exploring the roles of gender and racial/ethnic identity indicate substantial heterogeneity between groups of color, as well as between males and females within groups of color. These findings offer insight into the ever increasing complexity of managing fires and fire risk, as well as forming informational and educational strategies that are sensitive to the diverse cultures of the region.