At least $40.8 million has been spent on fire suppression in Colorado this year, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
The most expensive two have been the South Rim and Turner Gulch Fires which have accounted for nearly three quarters of that total.
For context, more than $200 million was spent fighting Colorado wildfires in 2020 which saw the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires.
Even more money is being requested to fight wildfires as fire risk increases in Colorado and across the western United States.
The U.S. Department of the Interior appropriated $1.9 billion for federal agencies to assist in fighting fires in 2025. In 2026, the Trump Administration has requested more than $6.5 billion.
That’s just nationally. This past legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly passed six bills that impact wildfire issues here in our state.
While that sounds like a lot, research shows fire prevention and suppression is far less costly than damage costs.
The Southern California wildfires that killed more than 30 people earlier this year cost anywhere between $28 and $53.8 billion in property damage, according to the Southern California Leadership Council, while total economic losses were around $250-billion.
For every dollar invested in fire mitigation, $6 in post-disaster recovery costs is saved, according to FEMA.
