The Cost of Wildfires
According to a 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 50 percent of the Forest Service’s annual budget is now dedicated to wildfire management. This figure marks a significant increase from 1995 when fighting fires made up 16 percent of the budget. By the time 2025 rolls around, $2 of every $3 given to the U.S. Forest Service by Congress will be spent on fire programs.
Large, destructive fires burning across the West are exacerbated by the dry and warm climate — ideal wildfire conditions. The Carr fire currently scorching California has destroyed over 1,000 homes and devastated more than 164,000 acres. It’s the sixth-most damaging fire on record in California in terms of property loss, according to the NOAA Centers for Environmental Information.