Cost to Battle 20 Wildfires in WA Has Topped $200M
The state says the total covers crews and aircraft but not recovery costs, and 20 fires have already surpassed two-thirds of last year’s spending.
- Fighting 20 wildfires across Washington cost the state $207 million over the last month, according to Department of Natural Resources data, representing more than two-thirds of prior-year wildfire spending.
- More than 770,000 acres have burned across Washington in 2026, marking the third-highest total on record, as Michael Kelly, communications director at the Department of Natural Resources, described the situation as a "crisis fueled by drought and extreme weather."
- In the last fiscal year, the Department of Natural Resources spent a record estimated $304.8 million on wildfires, surpassing the state budget by nearly $18 million and forcing the agency to seek additional funding.
- To address the funding gap, the Department will seek emergency federal assistance under the Clarke-McNary Act, which does not require repayment and was last utilized in 2024 for nearly $15 million.
- Kelly stated the agency "can't afford to take our foot off the gas because the wildfire crisis isn't going to let up anytime soon," with the governor's budget proposal slated for release in December.
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This article was originally published on Cedarnews.net. For more news and exclusive reports, visit our website. Washington is burning through its wildfire budget fighting large and costly fires. The development was reported by The Spokesman-Review. Washington is burning. This news was published on the Cedarnews website. For more breaking news and exclusive reports, visit our official website.
Cost to battle 20 wildfires in Washington state has topped $200M
In the span of a month, firefighting costs for 20 wildfires burning across Washington have totalled $207 million, according to data from the state’s Department of Natural Resources. The expenses will be split among local, state and federal agencies. But the number is telling: Those 20 fires, some of which are still burning, have cost more than two-thirds of what the Department of Natural Resources spent over the last state fiscal year battling …
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