This Headwaters Economics study and shorter digest analyze the impact of housing and climate on the costs of fighting forest fires in the twelve national forests of the Sierra Nevada.
Findings in the region include:
- In the Sierra Nevada area, an increase in average summer temperature of 1º F is associated with a 35 percent increase in area burned by wildfires.
- For the average U.S. Forest Service wildfire, 35 percent of total firefighting costs are associated with protecting homes.
- The number of homes threatened by wildfires during the past decade roughly doubled compared to the 1980s or 1990s.
- Additional firefighting costs associated with new homes depend on how many homes already are present. For an average USFS wildfire, if only one home is within six miles of a fire the additional cost of a new home is roughly $57,000 daily—or $2 million for the duration.
The paper was submitted to the International Journal of Wildland Fire in July, 2011.
Click the headline below for a full screen version of the short PowerPoint. A copy is available upon request.
