Legislative Fiscal Division unveils interactive wildfire model showing costs, mitigation and WUI risk

The House Natural Resources Committee heard a demonstration from the Legislative Fiscal Division on an interactive wildfire model that links historical fire perimeters, suppression costs and mitigation projects to help lawmakers evaluate fiscal exposure.

Amy Carlson, director of the Legislative Fiscal Division, introduced the tool and said staff built modular dashboards with live data connections so committee members can run scenarios and update figures in real time. "We create these using business intelligence software," Nick Van Brown, who led the technical overview, said, describing a modular "Mara"-centered design that includes modules for property, schools, higher education and wildfires.

The presentation emphasized financial context and limitations of prediction. Alice Hecht, the LFD staffer who led the wildfire demonstration, said the office focused on the state'level fiscal threat rather than trying to predict ignition events more than a few months out. "An ember can fly…