Longer droughts and a history of putting out small blazes leave forests choked with tinder

The cost in lives and property from megafires is growing as more Americans build homes in or around forests and woodlands.

Paradise, California had long prepared for wildfires but only in its worst nightmares did it imagine the kind of “megafire” that last week destroyed most of the town and is becoming a common occurrence in the state.

Economists know that the prices of houses tend to drop in the aftermath of a nearby wildfire. But a new paper reveals good news for those who have invested in vulnerable woodland property: Unless you can literally see the fire scar from your home, these prices rebound within a couple of years.

A ruined view following a wildfire affects property values, but only because it's a painful reminder of risk, economists find.

Homes regain value in less than two years, study says

A recent study finds that some of the West’s most fire-prone areas — densely forested, scenic landscapes — are also some of its most desirable.

More people than ever want to live on the wild edges of Western cities, despite the risk wildfires pose to their homes. A recent study by researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, found that wildfires drive down real estate prices only in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Home prices in burned areas typically rebound to pre-fire levels within one to two years.