Eli Lehrer and Jeff Kupfer: Washington’s wildfire strategy must prioritize mitigation and resiliency

If nothing else, 2020 showed Washington state residents they can’t stop worrying about wildfires.

The just-ended wildfire season, after all, leftover 700,000 burned acres and scorched nearly 200 homes. It’s a sign of things to come: Population growth will put more people in the path of wildfires while climate change will make them more frequent and severe. If Washington state policymakers and citizens want to be ready for next year’s wildfire season, they should improve forest management through controlled burns, strengthen building codes, tie post-disaster aid to predisaster preparedness, and encourage individual property owners to make better choices.

Some background first: In 2018, the most recent year for which we have full information, the federal government spent $3 billion fighting wildfires and nearly nothing on making communities more resilient against them. This is absolutely backward and it’s fiscally irresponsible to boot. When a disaster strikes, mitigation spending saves $6 for every $1 invested in it.

Read the full article at Spokesman-Review