Last week, the Modernization and Risk Analysis Committee received an updated wildfire cost analysis from the Legislative Fiscal Division.
The headline figures. Montana has spent roughly $2.3 billion on fire suppression over the last 20 years — about 75% federal, 25% state. That split matters because most of the dollars and most of the burnable acreage sit on federal ground. Annual acres burned have trended down slightly since 2000. But real state cost per acre is climbing. We're paying more to fight each acre we burn.
Where the costs concentrate. Over the past five years, only 4.1% of acres burned were in zones the U.S. Forest Service rates "Very High" wildfire hazard potential but those acres drove 32% of state suppression cost. Average cost per acre in those zones runs about $371, versus $82 in the lowest-risk zones. A small share of the landscape drives a disproportionate share of the bill, which tells us where mitigation dollars should go first.
The surprise. Most of us picture wildfire as a timber problem. Carbon County's profile is mixed with timber up the Beartooth front, grass and shrub across the rest. Statewide over the last five years, more structures have been lost to grass fires than to any other fuel type. That's a real implication for ranches, outbuildings, and homes in the eastern half of our county. Defensible space and ignition-resistant construction matter as much in grass country as they do in timber.
The fund. The state Fire Suppression Fund peaked near $185 million in FY 2023 and has drawn down to roughly $30 million, so it is tight. A $200 million transfer in August will help. HB 883 (2023) also lets DNRC apply part of that balance to mitigation work when the balance allows. It’s a step in the right direction, but funds for mitigation were turned off last fall when the balance went below the $40 million threshold.
What's next? The committee will report findings to the 70th Legislature in 2027 under HB 70 and HJ 62. I'm focused on three things: keeping pressure on federal partners for their share of suppression and forest management, making sure state mitigation dollars go to the highest-cost zones first, and getting clearer information to property owners about what actually reduces loss and insurance costs.
The same discipline that built up the Fire Suppression Fund shows up across the state's books. Montana climbed from #22 to #8 in the nation for fiscal health from 2021 to 2025, according to Truth in Accounting's Financial State of the States 2025 report. We paid off the state's bonded debt in 2023, and in 2025, we set aside funds to backstop pensions and catch up on deferred infrastructure maintenance. That's results over politics. I'm asking for your vote on June 2 so we can keep delivering.
It is an honor to serve you. Thanks for your support!
Brad Barker Representative House District 55 (Carbon County) brad@bradbarker.com bradbarker.com 406-426-1034 facebook.com/Representative.Barker
NOTE:
In response to the dishonest mailers, radio, and TV ads by PACs affiliated with the State GOP under Art Wittich and the Freedom Caucus and promoted by the Carbon County Freedom PAC and Carbon County Republican Women - Americans for Prosperity, Accountability in State Government, Montana Patriots, and School Freedom Fund. See some of my responses here:
