As Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Develops, Firefighting Costs Will Soar
Fighting wildfires costs have averaged more than $3 billion per year, and home protection contributes substantially to this amount. The majority of the WUI in the West is currently undeveloped, but...
View ArticleThe Rising Cost of Wildfire Protection
This report describes how the protection of homes in the Wildland-Urban Interface has added to wildfire costs and concludes with a discussion of solutions that may help control escalating risks and...
View ArticleLocal Responses to Wildfire Risks Are Limited
This study reviews how western communities are addressing wildfire risk, how they have responded to recent major fires, and useful lessons and public policy insights for the future. The post Local...
View ArticleStudy Finds No Evidence Firewise Lowers Suppression Costs
Study finds no evidence of a relationship between wildfire suppression costs and Firewise participation, suggesting policies should focus on other solutions to lower future expenditures, such as...
View ArticleWildfire Budget, Incentives, and Missed Opportunities
The failure of Congress to pass wildfire disaster funding is a missed opportunity for two reasons: one to stop 'fire borrowing' and second to reduce risks and costs to homeowners and the taxpayer. The...
View ArticleLessons for Wildfire from Federal Flood Risk Management Programs
This paper reviews the experience of national floodplain management programs to draw lessons for new approaches to reduce the costs and risks posed by wildfire to properties in the Wildland-Urban...
View ArticleBetter Planning to Reduce Wildfire Risk: A Summit County Case Study and...
Wildfires pose a growing threat to many communities. As more development occurs near wildfire-prone lands, there is a growing need to reduce risk through improved land use policies and tools. The post...
View ArticleReducing Wildfire Risk to Communities
This report outlines a number of solutions to alter the pace, scale, and pattern of future development in the Wildland-Urban Interface. The post Reducing Wildfire Risk to Communities appeared first on...
View ArticleWildfire Increasingly an Urban Issue
Wildfires increasingly are threatening urban areas—often repeatedly—putting more homes, lives, infrastructure, and other resources at risk. The post Wildfire Increasingly an Urban Issue appeared first...
View ArticleHome Construction in the High Divide
The High Divide region, recognized as one of the most intact biological areas in the lower 48 states, is attracting many new residents and home construction is changing the landscape. The post Home...
View ArticleSummary: Wildfire Costs, New Development, and Rising Temperatures
This summary highlights the major research Headwaters Economics has conducted concerning controlling fire suppression costs, state case studies, and the growth of homes in the WUI. The post Summary:...
View ArticleWildfire Experts’ Paper Informs Effective Policy
Ten wildfire experts outline seven key science insights important to inform future policy discussions and development. The post Wildfire Experts’ Paper Informs Effective Policy appeared first on...
View ArticleLand Use Planning to Reduce Wildfire Risk
Case studies show how five urban areas in the West are using innovative land use planning tools to adapt to the increasing risks from wildfires. The post Land Use Planning to Reduce Wildfire Risk...
View ArticleRising Wildfire Costs Encourage Better Land Use Planning
Five urban areas in the West and Southwest are taking steps to mitigate wildfire risks and costs through the perspective of land use planning. The post Rising Wildfire Costs Encourage Better Land Use...
View ArticleCommunities Threatened by Wildfire, 2000-2014
The interactive map identifies frequently threatened towns and cities, including the different sizes and distances of wildfires from nearby communities. The post Communities Threatened by Wildfire,...
View ArticleCommunities Threatened by Wildfires, 2000-2014
Explore which communities have been threatened by nearby wildfires from 2000 to 2014. The post Communities Threatened by Wildfires, 2000-2014 appeared first on Headwaters Economics.
View ArticleIdentifying Communities at Risk to Wildfire
Mapping and understanding communities at risk from wildfires just became easier with a new interactive tool generated by Headwaters Economics. The post Identifying Communities at Risk to Wildfire...
View ArticleDoes Insurance Affect Home Development on Wildfire-Prone Lands?
It is unlikely that insurance rates and policies alone will determine whether or not a landowner decides to build a new home on wildfire-prone land. The post Does Insurance Affect Home Development on...
View ArticleCommunities Utilize Land Use Planning to Reduce Wildfire Risks and Costs
The Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) program provides communities with expertise in land use planning, forestry, risk assessment, and research to identify and reduce local wildfire...
View ArticleTennessee Wildfires: Now Is the Time to Plan
The wildfires that burned the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park devastated nearby communities and underscore the need to reduce the risks and costs of future catastrophic events. The post...
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