The economics of bushfire management

The terminology of economics states that while bushfires destroy economic, environmental and social assets, fire management activities require resources that have alternative uses. Fire managers face the challenge of managing bushfire threats through the use of different approaches with limited human and financial resources to minimise econimic, environmental and social losses. Consequently, fire management is associated with choices and trade-offs as there are limits to the available fire management approaches and differences in the values of assets to be protected from bushfires. Making decisions that require trade-offs due to limited resources is the primary concern in economics.