The Costs and Losses of Wildfires

Published

November 2, 2017

Author(s)

Douglas S. Thomas, David T. Butry, Stanley W. Gilbert, David H. Webb, Juan F. Fung

Abstract

This report enumerates all possible costs of wildfire management and wildfire-related losses. It, further, compiles estimates or proposes methods for estimating the costs and losses identified. These estimates can be used for C+NVC modeling, and can also be used to produce an estimate of the ‘economic burden’ of wildfire for the United States. The economic burden represents the impact wildfire has on the U.S. economy. Tracking the economic burden of wildfire could be used to assess return-on-investment into wildfire interventions. The economic burden is decomposed into: 1. intervention costs; 2. prevention/preparedness, mitigation, suppression, and cross-cutting; 2. and into direct and indirect wildfire related (net) losses. The annualized economic burden from wildfire is estimated to be between $71.1 billion to $347.8 billion ($2016 US). Annualized costs are estimated to range from $7.6 billion to $62.8 billion. Annualized losses are estimated to range from $63.5 billion to $285.0 billion.

Citation

Special Publication (NIST SP) - 1215

Report Number

1215

NIST Pub Series

Special Publication (NIST SP)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

DOI Link

Keywords

fire, wildfire, wildland, cost, loss

Citation

Thomas, D. , Butry, D. , Gilbert, S. , Webb, D. and Fung, J. (2017), The Costs and Losses of Wildfires, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1215 (Accessed October 14, 2024)