The one small saving grace over these last two years of horrendous wildfires in California was that they came at a time when the state had ample resources to respond without having to divert money from schools or healthcare.
That won’t always be the case.
As a result of climate change, we can expect catastrophic fires to occur with grim regularity. We also know that state budget surpluses will come and go.
The annual cost of fighting wildfires is as unpredictable as the fierce winds that drive those fires. In each of the last two years, the state has spent nearly $1 billion on catastrophic-wildfire suppression. In each case, that was more than double the amount that had been budgeted.
Fortunately, the state had the cash on hand to cover the difference. But even if it didn’t, the money would still have to be spent.