By Nick Smith
Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities
For years, foresters, firefighters, and rural communities have argued that active forest management can reduce wildfire impacts. New research is putting numbers behind that experience.
Researchers examining hundreds of wildfires across the West found that fuel treatments reduced fire spread, lowered suppression costs, and prevented billions of dollars in damage. The findings come from two recent studies by University of California Davis researchers who analyzed how real wildfires interacted with forests that had already received fuel reduction treatments.
One study examined nearly 300 wildfires across 11 western states between 2017 and 2023. Fuel treatments reduced wildfire spread and prevented an estimated 152,000 acres from burning. The researchers also found that those treatments avoided roughly $2.8 billion in damages by reducing impacts to homes, infrastructure, public health, and air quality.
The studies found that investments in forest management generated substantial returns. Across the West, every dollar invested in fuel treatments produced about $3.75 in avoided wildfire damages. In the Pacific Northwest, every dollar invested generated between five and six dollars in reduced federal firefighting costs.
The findings are especially noteworthy because they are based on observed wildfire outcomes rather than projections. Researchers looked at what happened when actual wildfires encountered areas that had already been treated through thinning, prescribed fire, and other fuel reduction activities.
The research also found that larger forest projects delivered the greatest benefits. Treatments covering more than 2,400 acres produced stronger wildfire outcomes and greater economic returns than smaller projects. That finding highlights the importance of carrying out management at a scale that matches the size of today’s wildfire challenge.
The findings also have implications for agency budgets. As wildfire suppression costs continue to rise, fewer resources are available for restoration projects and other stewardship work. Investments that reduce future wildfire costs can help free up funding for additional work on the ground.
For communities across the West, the message is straightforward. Active forest management reduces wildfire impacts and delivers measurable public benefits. The research shows those benefits grow when projects are carried out at meaningful scale. At a time when millions of acres need treatment, investing in forest health can help protect communities, reduce costs, and improve the condition of forests for future generations.
