Cost of Fighting Fires in West Soon to Top $1 Billion

The federal cost of fighting wildfires across the West soon will exceed $1 billion, with Congress likely to dip into the treasury again this year to pay the final tab, officials said Wednesday.

So far, the federal government has tallied at least $626 million in costs to battle scores of fires from Montana to New Mexico, spending as much as $18 million a day, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. But several senior administration officials said it has become clear the costs will exceed $1 billion before long.

Just before leaving for its summer recess, Congress came up with an additional $350 million for fighting the wildfires, bringing the total amount budgeted for direct firefighting to $836 million this year. Although that is expected to fall short of what will be needed, officials said the money will be found.

“Money is not an issue. The money is there to do what is necessary,” said Linda Ricci, a spokeswoman for the administration’s Office of Management and Budget. She said the Forest Service and Interior Department have discretion to temporarily shift funds from other areas of their budget and that the administration is prepared to ask Congress for more money if needed when lawmakers return in September.

“A lot of the bills won’t come in until after the fire season is over,” said Lorraine Buck, a spokeswoman for the interagency group that has set up headquarters in Boise, Idaho.

A sprinkling of rain over Montana on Wednesday gave firefighters hope for a change in the region’s hot, dry weather, which has helped fuel the fires.

“A couple of days of this and we’d just about have her surrounded,” said Jeff Gildehaus, a fire information officer in Red Lodge, Mont., where a 2,500-acre fire outside the town kept about 50 families out of their homes.

President Clinton on Wednesday declared a major disaster in central and western Montana, freeing federal aid to help people and businesses there grappling with fire damage.