Counting the hidden costs of North Bay, California wildfires on businesses, residents

Wildfires are burning a hole in California’s wallet — and not just state government’s.

With no place in California immune to the increasing, raging infernos that barrel over communities, fires touch industry and peoples’ pocketbooks in dozens of ways, from insurance and tourism losses to home hardening and fire prevention costs.

First, there’s the obvious. Fire suppression costs for the state thus far this fiscal year have reached $1.3 billion in the 2021 fiscal year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported this week. That’s more than $30 for every resident in the state.

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