Before the burn: The economic benefits of fuel-reduction treatments in wildfire-prone forests

Abstract A century of wildfire suppression policies has led to the build-up of combustible fuel loads in forests, increasing the size, severity, and costs of wildfires. This study explores whether fuel-reduction treatments reduce wildfire suppression costs. Focusing on wildfires igniting on U.S. Forest Service lands in the Pacific Northwest, we leverage exogenous variation in protections for the Northern Spotted Owl that unintentionally restrict fuel treatments. Conservative estimates indicate t