Wildfires are costing the U.S. anywhere up to hundreds of billions of dollars a year, a new report from a federal wildland fire commission released Wednesday says.
In its 340-page report to Congress, the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission warned that the risks and the costs from wildfires are only going to get worse. It predicted that growing threats from smoke emissions and from damage to natural watersheds like those threatening areas of Coconino County right now will only increase.
"We are at a pivotal point," warned Forest Service deputy chief Jaelith Hall Rivera.
"That is largely due with how we grapple with aspects of the climate crisis, one of which is the increase in longevity and severity of fire seasons and how it impacts both human and natural environments," she said.
The commission warned that federal resources aren’t enough and stressed collaborations with states, tribes and local governments.
The commission also recommended expanding prescribed fires and working more closely with tribes to plan smaller fires in order to stave off larger ones and it called for an increase to firefighters pay.
