Wildfire & Poverty: The Interactions Among Wildfires, Fire-Related Programs and Poverty in the West

ECONorthwest examines the relationship between wildfires and poverty in the wildland-urban interface areas of eleven western states.

Wildfires and poverty are both common in the West. In 2000, 25,590 fires in eleven western states burned more than 5 million acres. Direct exposure to wildfire occurs primarily where housing adjoins wildlands, in areas commonly called the wildland-urban interface (W-UI). We estimate that 3–5 million of the 10-15 million residents in the W-UI lack adequate resources to protect themselves from wildfire. This population includes those whose incomes fall below the federal poverty line as well as those whose incomes are higher but still insufficient to meet basic economic needs with enough left over to cover the expense of wildfire protection. Wildfires intensify poverty by having a pervasive, disproportionately negative impact on those households and communities lacking adequate resources to reduce the flammability of nearby wildlands, fire-proof homes and other structures, respond quickly when wildfires occur, and recover from economic losses resulting from fires. The impacts also go in the reverse direction, with poverty increasing the incidence of wildfires, raising the costs of fighting fires, and creating additional risks for firefighters.

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