What Is the Price of Catastrophic Wildfire?

David T. Butry; D. Evan Mercer; Jeffrey P. Prestemon; John M. Pye; Thomas P. Holmes

Treesearch

What Is the Price of Catastrophic Wildfire?

Formally Refereed

Authors:

David T. Butry, D. Evan Mercer, Jeffrey P. Prestemon, John M. Pye, Thomas P. Holmes

Year:

2001

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Southern Research Station

Source:

Journal of Forestry 99(11):9-17

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Abstract

We modeled and analyzed the economic impacts of the six weeks of large, catastrophic wild-fires in northeastern Florida in June and July 1998, among Florida's most devastating in recent history. The result of the unusually strong El Níño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in 1998, the Florida wildfires produced economic impacts of at least $600 million, similar in scale to recent category-2 hurricanes. Improved understanding of the interactions between management, wildfire, and its costs may yield large payoffs to society by identifying optimal intervention activities.

Keywords

economics, fire management, Florida, policy

Citation

Butry, David T.; Mercer, D. Evan; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Pye, John M.; Holmes, Thomas P. 2001. What Is the Price of Catastrophic Wildfire?. Journal of Forestry 99(11):9-17