The cost of fighting wildfires in BC has doubled in a decade — who's paying the bill?

Between 2016 and 2025, British Columbia spent an average of $525 million annually on wildfire suppression, according to the data. That represents a dramatic increase compared to historical spending levels from the previous decade.

The report’s authors say these figures show BC households are already bearing the financial cost of climate change. That cost arrives largely through taxpayer-funded emergency response.

Rising price tag for provincial taxpayers

The cost of wildfire management extends beyond the immediate operational expense of deploying crews, water bombers and heavy machinery. SFU researchers point out that suppression costs are only part of the picture. Add in infrastructure damage, health care costs from smoke exposure, and disruption to forestry and tourism, and the true bill climbs far higher.

In fact, provincial suppression expenditures accounted for only a fraction of the total economic loss suffered by communities hit by major wildfire events in recent years.

Because wildfire suppression is funded through provincial budget allocations and emergency contingency funds, everyday taxpayers continue to absorb the growing operational costs year over year.

Investing in prevention over emergency response

The report calls for a strategic shift in how the province allocates financial resources to address the wildfire crisis.

Researchers argue that British Columbia must dramatically increase investments in proactive risk reduction, such as forest thinning, prescribed burns and community FireSmart initiatives, rather than relying predominantly on emergency suppression once blazes are already out of control.

Advocates argue that upfront investment in landscape management shrinks the size and intensity of future fires — saving money in the long run and protecting communities from catastrophic losses.