Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy

Check in soon for briefing highlights and a full video recording.

One year after the catastrophic wildfires that blazed through southern California, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) held a briefing on emerging solutions to tackle the wildfire crisis, and the federal policy strategies for getting these solutions into the field. Communities nationwide are experiencing longer wildfire seasons and more intense, destructive wildfires. Hotter and drier weather, decades of fire over-suppression leading to the buildup of flammable materials, and increasing development in and around fire-prone areas have transformed wildfire—once a natural and sustainable part of American landscapes—into a major threat. From California to New Jersey, wildfires are taking a toll—costing the United States up to $424 billion annually and displacing tens of thousands of people.

This briefing highlighted efforts to address this crisis, including wildfire preparedness, response, and recovery policies and innovations in the United States. Panelists identified evidence-backed approaches—from smart zoning and upgraded building codes to fuels management and early detection—and the role of federal policy in supporting the rapid development and cost-effective implementation of these tactics at scale. Attendees left this briefing with an understanding of how to strengthen wildfire mitigation efforts, bolster community wildfire resilience, ease the strain on emergency services, and save taxpayer dollars.