In the summer of 2021, five “Fire Boss” planes from Dauntless Air skimmed a lake in Washington to refill their pontoons and fight a wildfire. CEO Brett L’Esperance likened the single-engine aircraft to “Dusty Crophopper” from Planes 2. The maneuver, shown in company video, illustrates how these planes repeatedly scoop water to battle blazes.
Although the federal government leads most large wildfire responses, nearly all of the roughly 500 aircraft the U.S. uses are privately owned and contracted. Last year those aircraft burned about $50 million worth of jet fuel. With jet fuel prices surging since the war in Iran began in late February, the same level of aircraft use this season could push that bill to nearly $100 million, meaning taxpayers would likely cover tens of millions more.
Retired wildfire pilot Willis Curdy noted aerial firefighting demands extreme maneuvers that greatly increase fuel consumption. “This is not like getting in a 737 and going to 33,000 feet,” he said, adding that pilots often push aircraft hard and therefore burn more fuel than typical airline flights. Most contracts with aerial firefighting companies include clauses allowing higher fuel costs to be passed through to the U.S. government.
The U.S. Forest Service, which leads responses to most big wildfires, told NPR it has budgeted $45 million for fire aviation fuel this year — about $7 million less than it spent last year. Agency officials did not agree to an interview, and the budget number may change as conditions develop. Federal forecasters are predicting an active fire season across much of the West, and several Western states experienced very dry or record-dry winters that could worsen wildfire risks.
L’Esperance said his bigger concern is not price alone but potential jet fuel shortages. Much of the West’s jet fuel is refined in California, where refinery stocks are at their lowest in more than two years, according to the California Energy Commission. The American Petroleum Institute notes California is more reliant on imported oil than other states, and imports have been disrupted by the war in Iran. L’Esperance warned that if fuel supplies run short during peak fire months — late June through September — aerial response capacity could be constrained.
The Forest Service declined to say whether it expects a fuel shortage this season but said it has flexibility to spend more if necessary. With higher prices and potential supply constraints, taxpayers could face significantly larger bills for aviation fuel used in wildfire suppression this year.