The state will likely see a new record for wildfire-fighting spending this fiscal year, topping an estimated $285.9 million spent last fiscal year.
As of Aug. 11, federal, state and local agencies have spent an estimated $207 million on 20 wildfires since July 1, including a combined $14.6 million on the Spokane Complex Fires, according to data provided by the Department of Natural Resources.
"With the number of large fires that we have this year, the number of destructive fires that we've had this year, we will probably come close to, if not exceed, the fiscal year '26 numbers," spokesperson Michael Kelly said in an interview Tuesday.
Kelly said the money funds operational costs, including fuel, personnel, food any other costs. On large fires, the agency can spend upwards of $1 million a day on firefighting efforts.
The increasing costs, Kelly said, can be attributed to several factors, including inflation and fire seasons that are increasingly long and destructive. While there are roughly two months until the 2026 fire season ends, this year has proven to be among the worst in state history.
As of Tuesday, more than 791,000 acres in the state have burned, the third most in state history.
So far, an estimated $33 million has been spent fighting the Sinlahekin fire, which has burned more than 154,000 acres and is the largest active wildfire in the state. An additional $37.8 million has been spent fighting the Little Giant fire near Lake Chelan, which has burned 137,000 acres. And $42.1 million has been spent fighting the Kaiser Canyon fire, which has burned 138,000 acres.
"We're seeing more large and costly fires on the landscape," Kelly said. "So you've got to have teams that are out there who can fight those, because some of these fires will burn until the snows come, but you've got to get containment lines built."
The state likely will seek federal assistance to recoup some of the costs through a law known as the Clarke-McNary Act, something it last did in 2024, and the DNR is preparing its budget request for the upcoming legislative session.
The agency also receives an additional $125 million every two years as part of a $500 million state program established by the Legislature in 2021 to fund wildfire preparedness, forest restoration and other proactive efforts. The funding is set to expire on July 1, 2029.
"And so we're thinking about what comes next," Kelly said. "And I think the most important thing that's on our mind is how do we maintain the funding for the preparation and the forest health and the resilience, and then even expand on that funding."
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