**GAO-04-612**                      Published: Jun 02, 2004. Publicly Released: Jun 03, 2004.                  

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## Highlights

In 2003, wildfires burned roughly 4 million acres, destroyed over 5,000 structures, took the lives of 30 firefighters, and cost over $1 billion to suppress. The substantial expense of fighting wildfires has exceeded the funds appropriated for wildfire suppression nearly every year since 1990. To pay for wildfire suppression costs when the funds appropriated are insufficient, the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior have transferred funds from their other programs. GAO was asked to identify (1) the amount of funds transferred and reimbursed for wildfire suppression since 1999, and the programs from which agencies transferred funds; (2) the effects on agency programs from which funds were taken; and (3) alternative approaches that could be considered for estimating annual suppression costs and funding wildfire suppression.

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## Topics

Natural Resources and Environment

Appropriation accountsBudgetary reservesEmergency preparednessForest firesForest managementFunds managementFuture budget projectionsIntergovernmental fiscal relationsMission budgetingProgram managementReprogramming of appropriated fundsWildfiresWildland fires