Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington show key strategies for effective wildfire funding

Wildfire is no longer a seasonal surprise across the Mountain West. It is a recurring fiscal challenge that threatens communities, public lands, infrastructure, air quality, and state budgets. As Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington confront increasingly costly fire seasons, policymakers should rethink not only how much they spend on wildfire, but how those dollars are structured. Idaho’s wildfires: The risk doesn’t end where insurance does for our small businesses The central challenge is that wildfire costs are unpredictable. A state may experience a relatively mild season one year and face extraordinary suppression expenses the next.

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