At the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), where undeveloped landscapes meet the built environment, there is a complex interaction among local, state and federal land and hazard stakeholders that must work together to protect life and property from wildfire. The effective use of wildfire science is considered key to successful wildfire management and mitigation at the WUI, however, it is not well known how science may be effectively used in wildfire management. In this study, we used Multiple Streams Framework (MSF), a popular policy process model that outlines the components of policy creation, as a lens to examine the role science plays in wildfire policy and management. By examining wildfire policies at the WUI of Boise, Idaho USA and interviewing land and hazard managers, we targeted what makes science useful as managers make wildfire decisions. We found that city, state and federal stakeholders address wildfire hazards with distinctly themed sets of policies. Interviews revealed that science is considered useful for managers when it draws boundaries, is quick to understand, and helps stakeholders acquire funding for mitigation projects. This study contributes new understanding regarding the push and pull of science by decision-makers at the WUI by identifying what attributes of science make it useful when making decisions at the Wildland Urban Interface.