How California fixes its smog and wildfire problems.
Sounds crazy and expensive, but the cost is worth the savings.
The best current science says California would spend on the order of $60–80 billion over time to thin forests, use more prescribed fire, and harden homes. In return, every $1 spent on those treatments avoids about $3.75 in wildfire damages, in a landscape where annual losses run $185–540 billion. In simple terms: serious wildfire mitigation pays for itself several times over.
| Scenario | Cost (billions $) | Savings (billions $) | Net benefit (billions $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low estimate | 60 | 225 | +165 |
| High estimate | 80 | 300 | +220 |
So even at the conservative end, California would come out ahead by $165–220 billion over time.
