The Rising Costs of Wildfire Suppression and the Case for Ecological Fire Use

摘要: Since the late 1980s wildfire activity and suppression costs have been increasing dramatically in United States. Every year US Forest Service spends hundreds of millions, or billions, dollars fighting fires, regularly depleting its budget, requiring supplemental funds to pay for firefighting expenditures. Excess fuel accumulations, an expanding wildland-urban interface, climate change are most common reasons blamed rising costs, but “human dimensions” affecting fire management key factors driving aggressive strategies that more expensive ecologically damaging than alternative use tactics. We present recent cost data review literature discussing some sociocultural, political, institutional, operational influence costs. provide recommendations fixing changing managerial incentives, adopting “ecological use” as a new philosophy strategy controlling protecting communities, restoring fire-dependent ecosystems.