Wildfire Prevention Seen as a Way to Reduce High Suppression Costs in California

As firefighting costs rise, authorities turn to prescribed burns to deprive fires of fuel and keep them from spreading.

Crews battle fires in eastern Fresno County, California, on June 25, 2024. Cal Fire

As the cost of fighting wildfires has risen in California and nationwide over the past decade, authorities are focusing on prevention as a key part of their fire strategy.

Since 2014, wildfire suppression efforts have cost the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the Department of the Interior more than $3 billion annually, according to the agencies.