Western Wildfires - What are the true costs?

We all know that western wildfire suppression costs are … well, astronomical. In 2020, $3.7 billion to just put them out. (No numbers available that year for Arizona and Wyoming.) We know that what it takes to put out a wildfire is only a fraction of the actual costs.

Engaging our network of western water and wildfire experts, we’re looking at the true costs of wildfires, which include:

The incalculable costs of the loss of human life * Evacuation costs * Supply chain costs * Accelerated economic decline * Mental health costs * Health impacts short- and long term* Increased number of hospitals/emergency room visits because of heavy smoke * Death of wildlife/fish (both during the event and post- due to starvation) * Loss of habitat * Loss of productive timberlands * Loss of productive topsoil * Replacement of power lines * Replacement of homes * Replacement of water infrastructure * Clean-up from benzene and other chemicals * Loss of productivity - both from the fire and from wildfire smoke * Loss of economic activity * Loss of recreational facilities * Reduction of water storage * Disruption of the hydrologic cycle, (e.g., changes in the timing of runoff) * Lease of replacement water sources * Increased treatment costs—short term/long term * Cost of years of sediment removal in watersheds and reservoirs * Taste and water odor issues-loss of reputation and customer goodwill.