Fighting wildfires is expensive, and costs are increasing as global warming leads to bigger, hotter fires.
Hanna: “The majority of these large fires are handled by the federal government, and we spend a lot of taxpayer money.”
Autumn Hanna is with Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan budget watchdog group.
Billions of tax dollars are spent on wildfires every year, she said. This includes the cost of fighting fires and helping communities recover and rebuild.
Hanna said the government could reduce the burden on taxpayers by spending more money on projects that help protect communities before fires break out.
For example, planned fires called prescribed burns can help reduce the intensity of future fires. Thinning out trees and shrubs near homes and buildings with fire-resistant materials can help protect people's property.
Hanna: “So this is what we need to do to strengthen and create resilient communities so that when fires occur we can be protected and we can avoid catastrophic fires and emergencies where the only option is to put out fires.” It’s the highest cost.
Therefore, investments that reduce the risk of catastrophic fires help keep communities safe and save taxpayers money.
Report source: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media
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