Local Perspectives on Federal Wildfire Assistance

In August, Hawaii experienced one of the deadliest wildfires in American history, with at least 100 deaths and thousands of buildings destroyed or damaged. Unfortunately, this disaster is part of larger trend of wildfire destruction that extends to much of the mainland U.S. Over the past 30 years, wildfires have resulted in more than $100 billion in damages, burning down homes, businesses, and even entire neighborhoods. For some events, the scale of destruction makes rebuilding enormously difficult for local communities, and it often takes years for families to move back into their homes and for businesses to get up and running again.

Rebuilding with resilience to mitigate future fire damage is an even greater challenge—and essential, as wildfires become increasingly catastrophic with every decade. This webinar will feature a discussion with local leaders of wildfire recovery efforts to explore the multifaceted challenges involved in wildfire recovery, as well as federal policy solutions to facilitate efficient, impactful recovery efforts.