Document Type

Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Cultural and Environmental Resource Management

Committee Chair

Dr. Megan Walsh

Second Committee Member

Dr. Brian Potter

Third Committee Member

Dr. Jennifer Lipton

Abstract

While most wildfires burn less than 100 acres, the western United States experiences much larger fires annually, placing increasing pressure on suppression resources. Changes in weather patterns, fuel composition, and the spatial complexity of human development have rapidly altered historic fire regimes, increasing both the frequency of large wildfires and the challenges of managing them. This study compares two wildfire classes—Fires of Unusual Size (FOUS, >90,000 acres with at least one rapid growth event), and Large Fires (LF, 25,000–90,000 acres), —to identify differences in how size- and growth-based fire classes influence wildfire suppression costs. Suppression cost data for 60 fires was collected, while fire behavior and socio-economic variables including fuel moisture, wind speeds, elevation, land cover, population, and housing values were derived from remote sensing, climate, and population datasets. Nonlinear statistical models were used to analyze the results, maintaining temporal sequence and relationships of the variables. Results indicate that FOUS are more expensive overall but less costly per acre and per day by variable than LF. FOUS suppression costs are most sensitive to the fuel types within the final fire perimeter and to the elevation of ignition. LF suppression costs increase with certain fuel types, but are also highly influenced by increased populations, and weather variables such as vapor pressure deficit, and wind speeds both near the surface and at the 700 mb pressure level. These findings help improve understanding of wildfire suppression cost variability across fire size classes and can support adaptive, data-driven decision-making.

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