Headwaters Economics
  • Research
    • Rural Economy
    • Wildfire
    • Flooding
    • Outdoor Recreation
    • Public Lands
  • Community Assistance
  • Tools
  • AboutPages about Headwaters Economics
    • Our ImpactPage about Headwaters Economics’ impact, projects, and services
    • Our Team
  • Contact
Search

Wildfire

  • The path to wildfire-resistant building codes in Colorado offers lessons for other states

    The path to wildfire-resistant building codes in Colorado offers lessons for other states

    Kelly Pohl

    Colorado’s code design considered stakeholder input, including interviews and a survey conducted by Headwaters Economics and the University of Colorado Denver. Read more

  • Building wildfire-resistant homes after disasters will save billions

    Building wildfire-resistant homes after disasters will save billions

    Patricia Hernandez

    Upfront investments in rebuilding to wildfire-resistant standards can save billions in future avoided economic losses. Read more

  • Extreme heat is not just an urban threat: The risk to rural communities

    Extreme heat is not just an urban threat: The risk to rural communities

    Kelly Pohl

    Extreme heat poses health risks to millions of rural Americans. Solutions need to be tailored to meet the unique characteristics of rural places. Read more

  • Crossover landscaping can enhance wildfire resistance and save water

    Crossover landscaping can enhance wildfire resistance and save water

    Doug Green

    Crossover landscaping that does double-duty for drought and wildfire resistance is becoming more appealing for communities looking to reduce risk in residential areas. Read more

  • America’s urban wildfire crisis: More than 1,100 communities at risk

    America’s urban wildfire crisis: More than 1,100 communities at risk

    Kelly Pohl

    More than 1,100 communities in 32 states face similar risks to Los Angeles and other places with recent urban wildfires, highlighting the urgent need for wildfire-resistant homes and neighborhoods. Read more

  • Community Wildfire Defense Grants benefit rural and low-capacity communities

    Community Wildfire Defense Grants benefit rural and low-capacity communities

    Kelly Pohl

    A Forest Service program is helping communities across the nation reduce wildfire risk—including those that don’t normally have the resources to successfully compete for federal grants. Read more

  • Cascading wildfire insurance issues impact local and state budgets

    Cascading wildfire insurance issues impact local and state budgets

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    As home insurance in areas with high wildfire risk becomes more expensive and harder to obtain, significant pressure is put on state and local budgets. Read more

  • The cost of retrofitting a home for wildfire resistance

    The cost of retrofitting a home for wildfire resistance

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    Retrofitting a home for wildfire resistance can cost as little as $2,000, making this approach an effective risk reduction strategy for communities. Read more

  • Updates to Wildfire Risk to Communities reveal 115 million people living with high wildfire risk

    Updates to Wildfire Risk to Communities reveal 115 million people living with high wildfire risk

    Kelly Pohl

    New climate data and methodology enhances Wildfire Risk to Communities, a free online tool for understanding wildfire risks across the United States. Read more

  • Redefining the urban wildfire problem in the West

    Redefining the urban wildfire problem in the West

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    Leading wildfire experts make the case that creating wildfire-resistant communities must become a much higher priority. Read more

  • Austin, Texas: Built for Wildfire

    Austin, Texas: Built for Wildfire

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    In this ten-minute video produced by Headwaters Economics, learn how leaders in Austin, TX came to realize the magnitude of the wildfire threat, and how they brought together diverse interests to protect their community. Read more

  • Congressional wildfire commission lays out a new approach for wildfire policy

    Congressional wildfire commission lays out a new approach for wildfire policy

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    A new report from the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission recommends transformative approaches needed to overcome the wildfire crisis. Read more

  • Missing the mark: Effectiveness and funding in community wildfire risk reduction

    Missing the mark: Effectiveness and funding in community wildfire risk reduction

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    A new analysis shows that managing the built environment is the most effective strategy at reducing wildfire risk to communities, yet it receives the least funding and policy support. Read more

  • Analysis of the first round of Community Wildfire Defense Grants

    Analysis of the first round of Community Wildfire Defense Grants

    Kelly Pohl

    An independent analysis by Headwaters Economics shows that the first round of funding from the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program prioritized high-risk, low-income communities. Read more

  • Building for wildfire

    Building for wildfire

    Brent Powell

    In this video produced by Headwaters Economics, homeowner Brodey Simkins describes the tragedy of losing his home to wildfire and his commitment to rebuilding with wildfire in mind. Read more

  • Wildfire safety standards for Montana

    Wildfire safety standards for Montana

    Kelly Pohl

    Statewide wildfire safety standards are proven and cost effective. Montana can adopt standards to help make communities safer from increasing wildfire risks. Read more

  • New research shows where wildfire mitigation can be highly cost effective

    New research shows where wildfire mitigation can be highly cost effective

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    The United States is spending billions of dollars on suppressing wildfires that threaten a growing number of homes, but very little on better preparing communities before a wildfire occurs. Read more

  • Construction costs for a wildfire-resistant home: California edition

    Construction costs for a wildfire-resistant home: California edition

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    In light of rising wildfire risks, we analyzed the costs of constructing homes to three levels of wildfire resistance in California. Read more

  • Wood roofs are a $6 billion wildfire problem

    Wood roofs are a $6 billion wildfire problem

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    At least 1.2 million wood roofs are in areas with wildfire risk. Funding is needed to help communities prepare for wildfire. Read more

  • The unequal impacts of wildfire

    The unequal impacts of wildfire

    Kelly Pohl

    See where wildfire risk intersects social and economic factors that can make it difficult for people to prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfire. Read more

1 2 3 4
Next Page»

Independent Nonpartisan Research

Contact

© 2025 Headwaters Economics, all rights reserved


  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • Research
    • Economic Development
    • Equity
    • Natural Hazards
    • Outdoor Recreation
    • Public Lands
    • Tax Policy
  • Community Assistance
  • Analysis Tools
  • About Us
  • Contact
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube