The Cost Of Wildfires

Wildfires are not only a hazard to our land, but also to our wallets. Ingalsbee (2010) talks about the Forest Fires Emergency Act of 1908 in Getting Burned: a Taxpayer’s Guide to Wildfire Suppression Costs. The Forest Fires Emergency Act is a blank check from Congress that gives the U.S. Forest Service the authority to engage in deficit spending for wildfires. Idaho spends thousands of dollars for each fire in labor, equipment and other costs. Wildfires are especially costly here in the Midwest, where the number and intensity of wildfires are increasing.
The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) Year-End Fire Report Calendar Year 2014 states that human activity ignited 134 fires (38% of the year’s total) that burned 8,422 acres. The average cost