Over the past three decades, wildfires have scorched an increasing number of acres. From 2013 to 2022, there was an average of 61,410 wildfires annually. In 2022, there were 68,988 wildfires that burned 7.6 million acres. As the frequency and intensity of wildfires have increased, so have the costs of wildfire suppression.

Fire Borrowing

Historically, when suppression funds were depleted in the face of a wildfire emergency, funds from other non-suppression accounts were often transferred to cover immediate wildfire suppression costs, a practice known as fire borrowing. This practice has persisted for decades, though it became more controversial in the 2000s as wildfire spending increased. The practice has diverted billions of dollars from their intended purposes. For instance, in 2018, the Forest Service redirected $720 million from other non-fire programs. This perpetuates a vicious cycle in wildfire suppression, diverting resources meant for prevention and risk mitigation, leading to potentially steeper future suppression costs.

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