An Economic Evaluation of Public and Organized Wildfire Detection in Wisconsin

Early detection is the first step toward effective wildfire control. This study used cost-benefit techniques to evaluate the economic efficiency of fixed lookouts for wildfire detection in Wisconsin. Costs and benefits were assessed relative to a baseline scenario of public detection alone. Analyses revealed that fixed lookouts were economically efficient in aggregate; however, their performance varied considerably among administrative areas and among lookouts. Twenty-five percent of the fixed lookouts detected the majority of wildfires and accounted for virtually all suppression cost savings and property damage prevention. Additional analyses showed that fixed lookouts and the public saw wildfire that were significantly different. Specifically, the public tended to detect wildfires in developed areas at a relatively early stage, whereas fixed lookouts spotted fires in more remote, sparsely populated regions. These findings suggest that opportunities exist to enhance wildfire detection efficiency and cost effectiveness by selectively adjusting lookout use.